Dreamland

The casino economy is not the only thing that has been growing in Iceland in recent years. One by one, the country's rivers have been harnessed to producing huge amounts of energy for the aluminium smelters of the American company Alcoa. Based on the best-selling book by the same name, Dreamland describes the island state’s transformation from the home of a NATO base and fisheries to a playground of big corporations and the political elite.

A village missing out on excessive consumerism delights over a football hall built by Alcoa, but what is happening to Iceland's unique nature? Combining striking natural imagery, historical archive footage and unhurried interviews, Dreamland offers a fresh and comprehensive view of a country headed towards a huge crash.

The film traces the struggle between nature and consumer society from Iceland to developing countries, and many of the questions it raises also apply to Finland.

Matti Ylönen | Translation by Maria Koistinen