With Heima, the Icelandic word for 'home', the group gives a picture of the overwhelming nature and culture of their homeland. After a long world tour, Sigur Rós needed the peace, greenery and geysers of Iceland again. So in the summer of 2006 they toured the island for two weeks, performing for free in small cafes, ghost villages and even in the midst of nature. The film Heima is the result: a mix of live recordings, testimonials from the group members and images of Icelandic splendor. It's not a tourist pamphlet, but rather a tribute to the country's stunning natural beauty, accompanied by the group's atmospheric music.
Sigur Rós' music is known for its high goosebumps, melancholic instrumentation and settling atmosphere. No wonder, then, that the group is often asked to collaborate on soundtracks. For example, their music was used in Cameron Crowes Vanilla Sky (2001) and Mysterious Skin (2004) by Gregg Araki. Nic Balthazar also used their music for his newly awarded debut film Ben X (2007). But now there is Heima, Sigur Rós' own film, directed by Dean DuBlois, previously co-director of the Disney film Lilo and Stitch (2002). Performances of Heima differed considerably from the grand concerts full of dazzling lighting effects and visuals, but the intimate and simple took center stage. Ironically, the highlight of the film is the overwhelming performance in Reykjavik, the biggest Sigur Rós ever gave and Iceland ever saw.
After the film, Sigur Rós plays a 20-minute acoustic set in Theaterzaal Vooruit. The set includes music from their new double album that releases in the fall of 2007: Hvarf-Heim. The first album, Hvarf ("resting place"), features unreleased, electronic studio tracks. The second, Heim, features acoustic versions of Sigur Rós songs Samskeyti, Staralfur, Agaetis Byrjun, Vaka, Heysatan and Von.