"It takes chutzpah to call a pic Screaming Masterpiece, however tongue-in-cheek it's intended, but as director Ari Alexander Ergis Magnusson's flag-waving documentary proves, Icelanders are not short on self-belief. The film explores how this tiny nation has managed to produce not only exportable pop from the likes of Bjork and Sigur Ros, but also a thriving scene for jazz, folk and classical music.

"The obvious answer - the people there have long nights on their hands with little to do but drink. Other factors considered include a strong sense of community, originality fostered by isolation from other cultures, the beauty of the island's landscape, and an oral tradition stretching back a thousand years.

"Bjork is seen holding forth articulately in her native tongue on Icelandic musical culture and related topics, and generous footage covers the pixie-like pop star performing both at a recent concert and in archive material. Sigur Ros also dutifully gets screentime, but helmer Magnusson seems eager to explore this musical landscape's more obscure nooks and crannies, including a band composed of four organists, a xylophone made from rocks, and a garage band of pubescent boys called Nilfisk." - Variety