Sami Blood
2017 · Directed by Amanda Kernell
Original language: Swedish
- drama
The story
Elle Marja, 14, is a reindeer-breeding Sami girl. Exposed to the racism of the 1930s and phrenological examinations at her boarding school, she starts dreaming of another life. To achieve this other life she has to become someone else and break all ties with her family and culture.
What it’s like
Cool, muted daylight and long, unhurried takes of Lapland in the 1930s: pale birch and frozen lakes, reindeer herds crossing wide snowfields, interiors lit by flat grey window light and the warm glow of wood stoves. The camera tends to hold still and let faces and small gestures carry the weight, with the occasional handheld moment when the tension tightens. Sound is sparse, mostly wind, boots on snow, the clink of school cutlery, and a restrained score that surfaces only at the edges of feeling. The vibe is quietly aching, a cold, clear-eyed melancholy with a steady undercurrent of humiliation. Pacing is deliberate, and the emotional register stays low and controlled rather than melodramatic. The story follows a young girl who, confronted with institutional racism and pseudo-scientific measurement of her body, begins to reject her family and heritage in pursuit of a different life, and the film watches that split with unflinching patience. Intensity is moderate: a few harsh moments of humiliation and cruelty, including the examinations, but no gore and little overt violence. Best for viewers who want a serious, humane drama about identity and colonial prejudice, and who are ready for slow, emotionally heavy material.
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