The Day Iceland Stood Still
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In 1985, women in Iceland united to demand equal rights with men, in a fight ignited by a small group of housewives that escalated into a nationwide women's strike – an event that ultimately positioned Iceland as one of the countries with the highest levels of gender equality. Their initial demands were either ignored or ridiculed, until men turned against them, realizing their power and feeling their dominance threatened. Hearing, among other women, Iceland’s former female president, who held office for 16 years, and the head of the Supreme Court recount how, at the start of their lives, they were treated as mere accessories meant to be supported by their husbands, expected to sit quietly in their shadow – beautiful, submissive, and available – is something that calls for reflection on the persisting inequalities that stem from a patriarchy that, while weakened, still exists. Women are still paid less, still underrepresented in parliaments, still perceived as objects, still forced into roles and labels, and still have men making decisions about their bodies, something that the film touches on with the aim of awakening and mobilizing.
Screenings
Olympion
Cast and crew
Pamela Hogan
1987 Ducks Under Siege (TV)
2000 Ultimate Weapon: The H-Bomb Dilemma (TV)
2024 The Day Iceland Stood Still
Online screenings: -