Plot

A girl is caught between the life that took her brother and her own inability to strike out on her own. In her grief, she finds solace in the dark music of Black Metal and dreams of becoming a rock star.

On an August midday, somewhere in the remote vastness of rural Iceland, the carefree eleven-year-old, Hera, is unaware that a tragic accident will soon rob her of her last share of happiness. As a result, Hera will rebel against God with an unquenched rage, permeated with the vivid memory of her brother that pulsates in every corner of the house--and under those circumstances, alienated and suicidal--Hera will soon drag herself into a dreary, dead-end life. Years later--still blaming God for the injustice, and fending off any attempts at reconciliation from the local priest--the troubled teenager will embrace her brother's lifestyle, delving deeper and deeper into the unexplored and fascinating new music movement of Black Metal, finally finding a new purpose in life. However--with Hera still aching for closure, while the wounds of the past are always angry and wide-open--will she grasp in time that wallowing in grief can eat her up alive?—Nick Riganas

In Iceland, Karl, his wife Droplaug, his son Baldur and his daughter Hera form a simple family of farmers that works in their farm. When Baldur has an accident and dies, the family is deeply affected and the twelve year-old Hera becomes a rebel and fan of hard rock. Along the years, they grieve the loss of Baldur and the confused Hera composes songs of death rock and gets into successive troubles in their friendly community.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Its the year 1970. As Black Sabbath records their first album and marks the birth of Heavy Metal, Hera Karlsdottir is born on the cowshed floor at her parents farm in rural Iceland. The years of her youth are carefree until tragedy strikes. Her older brother is killed in an accident and Hera blames herself for his death. In her grief she finds solace in the dark music of Heavy Metal and dreams of becoming a rock star. As the years pass on the farm, buried under a shroud of snow and a looming ominous mountain, Hera practices her guitar and dreams of forming a band. She is a rebellious, misunderstood delinquent in her early twenties who can't help but get into trouble. She dreams of escaping out into the world but somehow always ends up at her own doorstep. When her childhood friend returns intent on marrying her and a young priest moves to the farming community, the wheels of fate start turning. Hera has to grow up, find her own voice and realize she can't run away her whole life.