Dreamland

Iceland is an attractive spot for investors in green energy. The financial returns are enormous for this sparsely populated nation, but the negative impact on nature conservation is also significant. The American company Alcoa has convinced the Icelandic government to give up a large portion of the island's eastern region for "green" aluminum production, leading to the loss of natural beauty, vegetation, animal life, and agriculture. Environmental activists view these actions as criminal, while left-wing economists believe they will bring only a temporary boost to the economy, rather than structural growth. As one economist says in Dreamland, "After this project, a new one will be needed, otherwise the economy will collapse again. It's like keeping on drinking so as not to feel the hangover." But the authorities can nonetheless be swayed by this kind of plan, even when it involves a company such as Alcoa, which is involved in the weapons industry in the United States. As another critic explains, "The company just promises a well-paid position to the politician after his term is over." This claim gains credence when we learn that the mayor involved later worked as a project manager for -- you guessed it -- Alcoa. The film is an ode to a threatened landscape, with magnificent helicopter shots of breathtaking, rugged terrain where waterfalls, geysers and vast green steppes still abound -- for now. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)