Dreamland

Tuesday, 09 June 2009 21:53

Back in Iceland. This time to profile the Dreamland documentary, an important and inspiring film based on the award winning book "Dreamland - A Self Help Manual For A Frightened Nation" by poet, playwright and author Andri Snær Magnason.

In a nutshell the book looks at how Iceland is selling off some of its most treasured natural jewels to economic 'hit men' in order to become one of the world's biggest aluminium producers.

This is no environmentalist rant from a hippy idealist. Magnason's book is a masterful mix of accessible political reportage, savvy cultural journalism and the occasional poetic flourish. It clarifies complex political and environmental issues and posits imaginative alternatives.

Written before the economic crash it still managed to become a best seller, shifting over 230,000 copies in a nation of just 300,000. 

The documentary - which Magnason co-directed - is just as potent, perhaps more so since it leaves out a lot of the stats and background detail to focus on the core emotional/human argument: does Iceland really need to sell and hence ruin its stunning natural resources to (disreputable) foreign aluminum companies in order to survive economically?

Though the book is about Iceland its key messages have global relevance.

For research purposes I travelled to Northern Iceland - to Akureyri, Lake Myvatn and to Husavik where a new massive Alcoa aluminium plant is being planned. I've posted some photos of this incredible area below. A full transcript of my interview with Magnason will be published here shortly.