'' When the Raven Flies '' ( original ( ) ) is a 1984 Icelandic-Swedish adventure film written and directed by Hrafn Gunnlaugsson . The story is set in Viking Age Iceland . The film was selected as the Icelandic entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 57th Academy Awards , but was not accepted as a nominee . In 2016 , online newspaper Kjarninn voted it as the best Icelandic film of all time
57th Academy Awards
57th Academy Awards
When the Raven Flies