It's the 19th century and Iceland is a Danish colony. Young Danish priest Lucas, played by Elliott Crosset Hove, embarks on a voyage to build a church in remote Iceland, taking an arduous journey on horseback across the harsh landscape. Fragile, snobbish Lucas engages in a battle of wills with Ragnar, played by Ingvar Sigurðsson, his gruff, experienced Icelandic guide. How this priest will fare living among a people connected to the forces of nature, rather than the will of God, is his true test. Filmed across many years, director Hlynur Pálmason showcases the landscape of Iceland and how it ravishes life on the nation island, requiring all who live there to commune with nature in a spiritual act.