Sámi Stories première: Árru

Set against the breathtaking landscape of Sápmi (Lapland), a Sámi community fights against a devastating mining project that threatens their reindeer and way of life. For reindeer herder Maia and single mother Kari, this resistance becomes inextricably linked with the past: protests and the struggle for territory unearth buried family traumas and painful childhood memories. How do you break a silence that haunts your family while simultaneously protecting the community you belong to? In this layered drama, which heavily features joiking — the traditional Sámi vocal tradition — director Elle Sofe Sara takes a loving yet critical look at her own culture, showing us that a common enemy does not a community make.

Árru is the feature film debut of director Elle Sofe Sara and premiered earlier this year at the 76th Berlinale. It is one of two recent Sámi films featured in the Sámi Stories program special. The role of Lemme is played by actor and musician Mikkel Gaup, who can also be admired at the Noordelijk Film Festival in the Oscar-nominated film Pathfinder (1987) and will even be present to host a joik workshop in collaboration with Explore the North.

Mikkel Gaup will also be present at the screening of Árru on Thursday for an introductory Q&A (in English).