Reykjavik (AFP)

"An Oscar for Husavik": this peaceful village in the north of Iceland, which has become the setting for the comedy "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga", in the running for the Oscar for best original song, can already be seen at the top of the poster as the ceremony approaches.

In this small port village of some 2,300 souls, on the edge of the Arctic Circle, "the atmosphere is filled with excitement", confides the councilor Kristjan Thor Magnusson to AFP.

A few days before the 93rd Oscars ceremony, the floor of the main thoroughfare of Husavik was painted red for the occasion, a way for its inhabitants to tread, too, the red carpet of the stars expected on Sunday in Los Angeles.

The one nicknamed "the European capital of whale watching" - where excursion tourists are almost guaranteed to come across a cetacean - has been dreaming since the appointment of "Husavik - My Home Town" ("Husavik - Ma ville natale ", in French), in the best original song category.

The title is the climax of the film "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga", a comedy produced by Netflix which tells the tricky journey of two musicians, played by Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams, representing Iceland in international song contest.

- Unexpected publicity-

Performed on screen by Rachel McAdams, the piano ride mixing English and Icelandic is originally sung by Swedish artist Molly Sandén.

An ode which conquered the hearts of the inhabitants of Husavik: "it has become the anthem of the city since the release of the film", tells Kristjan Thor Magnusson.

"People everywhere can identify with this type of feeling, that of being homesick or of loving their hometown," the mayor continues, referring to the lyrics of the song.

The municipality launched a campaign in early March called "An Oscar for Husavik", in the hope of seeing the city win a golden statuette.

If, among the five titles in competition, "Speak Now" of the feature film "One Night in Miami" seems to have the favor of the bookmakers, Husavik wants to believe in its chances.

"I think we can win," says comedian Sigurdur Illugason, who has lived in the village for 40 years and who plays the character of Oskar Oskarsson in two promotional videos accumulating 90,000 views on YouTube.

"I try to keep both feet on the ground: there is of course a chance to win but I do not expect it", confesses Hinrik Wöhler, in charge of tourism for the municipality, for whom all this media attention is unexpected publicity.

“The exhibition and everything about the film and the Oscars has been so huge for us that I can't be disappointed if we don't win,” he admits.

© 2021 AFP