In Icelandic and English with German subtitles

On 24 October 1975, Iceland witnessed a historic event: a women’s strike against inequality. Ninety percent of women stopped working and took to the streets. Across the country, beds went unmade, dishes remained unwashed, the telephone system fell silent, newspapers weren’t published, theatres were closed, national airlines cancelled flights, and most schools shut down. With their strike, women were able to bring an entire nation to a standstill for a single day — delivering the decisive push that made Iceland a global pioneer in gender equality. In this animated documentary by Pamela Hogan and Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir, the women themselves recount, for the first time, their lives in 1970s Iceland, their struggle for equality, and the strike that changed everything.

The film screening is presented in collaboration with the ENOUGH!GENUG! initiative. From Berlin, ENOUGH!GENUG! seeks to spark a global wave of protest and calls for a worldwide women* general strike on 9 March 2026 — “THE LARGEST, MOST DIVERSE, AND RESONANT ACTION by women* visible for all to see.”  Regional and national movements are invited to declare their own ENOUGH!GENUG! in their language, driven by their experiences and political goals.

As a form of protest participation and to highlight the planned women* strike, Ballhaus Naunynstraße presents The Day Iceland Stood Still: A story of urgent relevance, which has already inspired similar women’s strikes in Spain, Switzerland, and Poland in 2018. Released on the 50th anniversary of the strike, the film is both a documentary and a call to action — a testament to the collective power of women* to transform societies.

Adrienne Goehler is an author, theorist, and activist for unconditional basic income. She is the initiator and curator of the travelling exhibition Recommended for Imitation! Expeditions in Aesthetics and Sustainability, as well as the founder of ENOUGH!GENUG!.