Since she was a child in Iceland, Ragnhildur “Ragga” Jonsdottir has been able to see and converse with elves, trolls and sprites, though she waited until she was a grandmother before she told anyone. Now a known seer, she’s often consulted for her knowledge. For example, a man who wants to buy land to build a home checks with Ragga to make sure the elves won’t be bothered. The subject of director Sara Dosa’s beguiling, multi-level documentary, the warm and thoughtful Ragga is also an environmental activist: to protect “the hidden people” is to protect nature. She’s at the heart of a mass protest against the government’s plan to build a highway that will cut through a lava field and destroy the “Elf Chapel” (just a large mossy boulder to our eyes). You don’t have to believe in fairies to be seduced by Dosa’s artful movie, which finds a global resonance in this gentle seer’s story.

In competition for the Best Documentary Award

Director Sara Dosa, producer Shane Boris, and subjects Ragnhildur "Ragga" Jónsdóttir and Lárus Vilhjálmsson are expected to be in attendance on January 10 and 11.