Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
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Two Icelandic singers find themselves on a wild journey to the Eurovision Song Contest after a series of bizarre and explosive events.
The story
In the Icelandic small town of Húsavík, longtime friends Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdóttir make music together as the band Fire Saga, with Lars dreaming of winning the Eurovision Song Contest. Despite disapproval from their parents, the pair are selected to take part in Söngvakeppnin, the Icelandic preselection for Eurovision. Sigrit, who believes in the old Icelandic tradition of elves, asks for their help to get them into the contest. However, their performance goes wrong due to technical problems, leading to a series of unexpected events that propel them toward the international stage in Scotland.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdóttir form the band Fire Saga in Húsavík, Iceland. After their parents disapprove of their partnership, they enter Söngvakeppnin. Sigrit seeks help from elves to ensure their success. During the competition, technical issues plague their performance, but a boat party for finalists explodes, leaving them as winners by default. They travel to Edinburgh, Scotland, for the Eurovision Song Contest. There, they navigate elaborate staging plans, interact with other contestants like the Russian favorite Alexander Lemtov, and face a botched semi-final performance involving a hamster wheel prop. After a breakup and a series of revelations—including a plot by the governor of the Central Bank of Iceland to sabotage the win to prevent national bankruptcy—Lars returns to Edinburgh. He manages to convince Sigrit to perform her original song, 'Husavik', on stage. They share a kiss to a standing ovation but are disqualified for changing their song. Ultimately, they realize their relationship is more important than the contest, return home, and eventually marry.
- First release year
- 2020
- Runtime (minutes)
- 123
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Dobkin
- Writers
- Will Ferrell · writer; Harper Steele · writer
- Cast and characters
- Will Ferrell · Lars Erickssong; Rachel McAdams · Sigrit Ericksdóttir; Dan Stevens · Erick; Melissanthi Mahut · Helga; Mikael Persbrandt · Alexander Lemtov; Ólafur Darri Ólafsson · Olaf Yohansson; Graham Norton · Victor Karlosson; Demi Lovato · Mita Xenakis; Pierce Brosnan · null; Elín Petersdóttir · null
- Genres
- musical; romantic comedy
- Themes
- Ambition; Tradition vs. Modernity; Love; Persistence
- Tone and mood
- Musical; Comedy; Romantic
- Premise and plot tags
- Musical; Comedy; Romance; Road Trip
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the original music but criticised the screenplay and runtime. It was described as having inspired ingredients but being overlong and sometimes flat.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 50 · scale: 100 · review count: 39
- Awards and nominations
- Best Original Song · Academy Awards · 93rd · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was shot in locations including Scotland, Iceland, and England.; The actors studied Icelandic and worked with a speech therapist to achieve a realistic accent.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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