story

Amid Iceland’s majestic wilderness, a lava field of ecological importance is about to be demolished by the largest bulldozer in the country. Standing in front of that bulldozer is Ragga: grandmother of three, environmentalist and celebrated “seer” into the invisible realms. She and her fellow activists are arrested here for protesting the construction of a needless road –just one of the many ill-conceived development projects aimed at rebuilding the Icelandic economy after 2008’s banking collapse and global financial crisis. Beyond the ecological devastation the road would cause, Ragga has an emotional connection to the lava field: the bulldozers are demolishing the homes of elves - invisible beings who inhabit the lava and whom over half the country believes in.

Ragga is a “seer” who possesses “second sight,” the ability to communicate directly with a parallel realm of elves. Due to this rare gift, the burden of stopping the road from destroying the elves’ homes– and, a massive lava boulder thought to be an “Elf Church”– rests heavy on Ragga’s shoulders.

As springtime ushers light back to the northern landscape, the Road Administration strikes a deal with Ragga and the environmentalists: they will continue to build the road; however, they agree to safely relocate the boulder where the Elf Church resides and place it in a “Square of Reconciliation,” a symbolic place in the lava that commemorates the collaboration between the visible and invisible worlds. A microcosm for human relationships to nature, economy and the enchanting power of belief, the film explores how invisible forces have very material effects on our lives, highlighting what is worth seeing and what is worth saving.