Sameblod

I really do like Scandinavian movies and as far as I can remember, there was never a movie from Scandinavia that ever disappointed me. But this movie took me by surprise... It has been 4 days since I've seen this movie at local art-club cinema and yet I still can't stop to think about it. Something changed in my heart and even I'm a very rationale human being, it is difficult to explain why did this movie affect me so deeply. Was it the perfect written story, a subtle story that grabbed me by the soul as how real was it portrayed ? Was it the amazing cinematography of the mysterious and tranquil landscape of Lapland ? Was it the well-balanced camera shots coupled with modest yet powerful and deep soundtrack ? Was it the perfect acting of those young and innocent Saami sisters and the strong bond between them ? Whatever it was, it left me with a powerful and profound feeling inside. And if a movie is capable of achieving exactly this, then it is definitely worth watching.

My Swedish teacher highly recommended me this Swedish film and I had always wanted to watched it. It was played during the Vancouver International Film Festival but I just missed it. Finally, I had an opportunity to watch it. The story of Scandinavian indigenous people in this film reminds of the Salish people in Canada. The indigenous people faced huge invasion in culture, education, territory, etc. They were regarded inferior. Especially young indigenous faced self- identity crisis. They were starting to lose themselves in this modern world. Fortunately, governments start to launch cultural project to rescue indigenous culture. But it is far from enough. Films on this topic are a good ways to let the public know about indigenous culture, language, history and stories.

I am so glad that Amazon carries foreign films like this -- although it takes some digging to find them. The lead actress was flawless in her role as a native Lapp who is disdained by the Swedish elite. She plays this with such subtlety and dignity. I wanted to hug her and take her away from all the horrible treatment she received. The scenery is great. Hats off to the director for such a magnificent job. I always find that Nordic films are far and away better than American films. "The Hunt" was the most haunting Nordic film I've ever seen. Such a great film Thank you.

Background: The Sámi (often called Lapps by outsiders) peoples have occupied the northern regions of the three Nordic countries, and an adjacent part of Russia for at least the past 10,000 years. Totally around 100,000 peoples in the above mentioned geography (another 30,000 in N. America) most today live in urban settings, but traditionally and to a rural extent today they are/were either fishermen or hunter-gathers & herders (especially reindeer). They have historically undergone cultural dissolution, with Norway perhaps the most egregious, surprisingly similar to what Native North Americans underwent. Story: We encounter an older Elle-Marja (but for sometime re-naming herself Christina) at the funeral of her deceased sister, Njenna, we then go into a flashback of her life starting as a young women who leaves her reindeer herding life to pursue a different education, and a life fraught w/danger as she tries to assimilate into a xenophobic/racist Swedish life.

Elle Marja, a native of Lapland, faces xenophobia, while suffering a social and cultural wash imposed by Sweden.

I believe that one of the factors that makes this film interesting is the way it explores the subject, in this case, xenophobia and racism, in a country considered by many to be an almost perfect example of modern societies, Sweden.

The story begins with Elle Marja, as a retired teacher, at her sister's funeral, and then takes us into a flashback, where both are young and start attending school.

The process of abandoning culture, the dialect and the mannerisms and gestures themselves is explored in a good way, it fits the time when the individual shapes his personality (adolescence), which allows us to perceive the attitudes that the character adopts throughout the story development.

The photography is very interesting, with that atmosphere of melancholy and loneliness typical of northern European films.