Sameblod / Sámi Blood / Das Mädchen aus dem Norden

Through the panoramic windows of a hotel, the gaze is drawn to Northern Sweden's untouched natural beauty, with clear lakes, vast landscapes, and free-roaming reindeer. Some of the guests are appalled at the Sámi because these days, they do their reindeer herding on loud motorcycles. However, Christina, a retired teacher, is silent as she looks out at what was once her homeland. In flashbacks, she tells the story of her youth in the 1930s. Her name back then was Elle Marja, and she was housed at a boarding school for indigenous children. Her daily life was marked by forced assimilation, systematic discrimination, and open contempt. Despite the pushback, Elle Marja wants to attend university. She decides to abandon her Sámi identity, burns her traditional clothing, and slips into a colourful summer dress. Are these acts of self-empowerment or self-loathing? Of self-discovery or self-denial? In making the film, director Amanda Kernell – herself Sámi – drew upon the memories of relatives and other contemporary witnesses.