Sameblod (2016)

A reindeer-breeding Sámi girl who is exposed to the racism of the 1930's at her boarding school, starts dreaming of another life. But to achieve it, she has to become someone else and break all ties with her family and culture.

Director:

Amanda Kernell

Writer:

Amanda Kernell

Stars:

Lene Cecilia Sparrok, Mia Erika Sparrok, Maj-Doris Rimpi

25 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Lene Cecilia Sparrok	...	Elle Marja
Mia Erika Sparrok	...	Njenna
Maj-Doris Rimpi	...	Elle Marja / Christina
Julius Fleischanderl	...	Niklas
Olle Sarri	...	Olle
Hanna Alström	...	Lärarinnan
Malin Crépin	...	Elise
Andreas Kundler	...	Gustav
Ylva Gustafsson	...	Laevie
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hanna Asp	...	Ingrid
Anders Berg	...	Emanuel - Vetenskapsman 1
Katarina Blind	...	Mamma Anna
Emilia Bostedt	...	Elsa
Beata Cavallin	...	Hedda
Gabriel Holmberg	...	Olof

Storyline

In 1930s Lapland, the 14-year-old indigenous Sámi girl, Elle Marja, leaves the wild ancestral grounds and the family's reindeer camp to attend a remote draconian boarding school along with her younger sister, Njenna. However--as the bright rural student pursues a denied education and an opportunity, desirous of integrating herself into the modern Swedish society--a painful visit by a team of anthropologists paired by a traumatic experience will be the harsh reminders of an ever-present brutal prejudice and a deep-seated racism. Uppsala promises a bright future in the bustling metropolis, but to pass as a regular Swedish teenager, Elle Marja will have to make a greater sacrifice than just changing her name. But, can an outcast sever ties and renounce his proud lineage so easily?

---

Plot Keywords:

sami | sami people | racial biology | sister sister relationship | teenage girl | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Official Sites:

Nordisk Film [Sweden] Official Facebook

Country:

Norway Denmark Sweden

Language:

Swedish Saami

Release Date:

2 June 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Mädchen aus dem Norden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bautafilm,Det Danske Filminstitut,Digipilot

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Competition Award for Best Actress at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2016.

---

Quotes

Elle Marja: To become a teacher... What do you have to know?
Lärarinnan: Well... You have to know everything.

---

Connections

References Lappblod (1948)

---

Soundtracks

Stoerre Vaerie
Traditional
Performed by Charlotta Kappfjell, Hildegunn Øiseth, Frode Fjellheim

User Reviews

Tedious

A teenage Sami girl lives in a teepee with her family raising reindeer. The Sami are an indigenous minority in Sweden. The story begins with the girl as an bitter old woman who reluctantly accompanies her son to her sister's funeral. She is bitter about her childhood at a boarding school where Sami children were taught to assimilate and were forced to abandon their culture. It is, of course, a universal story, from the Native Americans here in the United States, to the Irish under the British thumb. Unfortunately, I was bored by this film. Last year, A Man Called Ove was the Swedish entry to the Academy Awards. I believed it should have won. I cannot say the same for Sami Blood.