R&A Shorts: Skábmagovat Presents

Sámi filbma eallá dál nana áigodaga. Oanehisfilmmaid buvttadeamis leat sirdasan guhkesfilmmaid ja tv-ráidduid buvttadeapmái, mat šaddet eanet ah eanet internašunála ovttasbargun. Dál justa buvttadeamis lea Elle Sofe Sara bagadallan filbma Árru, mii lea máilmmi vuosttaš luohtemusikála. Dasa lassin Åse Kathrin Vuolaba ráhkadan tv-drámá Heajastallan lea válljejuvvon Toronto internašunála filbmafestiválii. 

Sámi filbma beakkán vuhtto maiddái konkrehtalaččat go suorgi ovddiduvvo ođđa lasáhusain. Árktalaš universitehta lea álggahan ođđa mastergrada-oahpu, man fokusis lea árktalaš eamiálbmogiid filbma. Dasa lassin Internašunála Sámi Filbmainstituhtta ISFI lea viiddidan iežas rolla álggahettiin Ofelaš-joavkku, masa gullet Sámi filbmasuorggi áššedovdit. Joavkku ulbmilin lea nannet sámi filmma ja filbmabargiid sajádaga ja bagadit ii-sápmelaš buvttadanfitnodagaid mo ollašuhttit mielbuvttademiid ehtalaš ja kultursensitiivva vuogi mielde. 

Dát sámi filbmačájáhus, mii lea dál oaidninlahkái, doalvu geahčči Sámi duovdagiidda. Čájáhus čalmmustahttá mo ođđaáigásaš sámi filbma lahkona iešguđetlágan temáid dego ruoná kolonialisma, sámi utopiijaid, bearašoktavuođaid ja ovttaskas olbmo siskkáldas ruossalasvuođaid. Čájáhus sisttisdoallá čieža muitalusa, main áigi ja iešguđetlágan duohtavuođat čatnasit oktii humora vajáldahttotkeahttá. Filmmat leat čohkkejuvvon Skábmagovat-filbmafestivála prográmmas. Skábmagovat lea internašunála dáhpáhus, mii buktá oidnosii sámi ja eará eamiálbmotfilmma máidnasiid máilmmi Anáris juohke ođđajagimánu. Čájáhusa lea kurateren Skábma-filbmaguovddáža plánejeaddji Tarja Porsanger.

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Sámi cinema is going through a boom. While film production used to be heavily concentrated on short films, an increasing amount of feature-length works and TV series are being produced, often as international collaborations. For example, Árru, the world’s first musical film featuring traditional joik music, directed by Elle Sofe Sara, is now under production, and Åse Kathrin Vuolab’s television drama Heajastallan (A Sámi Wedding) has been selected to be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The increased interest Sámi stories can also be seen in concrete investments into developing the field. The University of the Arctic has launched a new master’s programme that focuses on native people’s cinematic storytelling. Furthermore, the International Sami Film Institute has expanded its role by setting up the group Ofelas – Pathfinders, composed of specialists in Sámi cinema. The goal of the Pathfinders is to strengthen the status of Sámi storytelling and authorship and to guide non-Sámi production companies to conduct their collaborative productions in an ethical and culturally sensitive manner.

This screening displays a collection of short films from a new generation that take the spectator into the heart of Sápmi. We get to see how contemporary Sámi cinema handles themes such as green colonialism, Sámi utopias, family relationships, and the individual’s internal contradictions. The screening includes seven individual and distinct stories that compliment each other. All of them touch on themes of time and different realities – without forgetting about humour. The films are a selection from the programme of the Skábmagovat Film Festival. It is an international event held in Inari each January, dedicated to exhibiting the cinematic storytelling of the Sámi people as well as other native peoples. The screening has been curated by Tarja Porsanger, planner at the Indigenous Peoples Film Center Skábma.

Skábmagovat (translated by Herman Tikkanen)