Homecoming

Museums worldwide are confronted with the pressure to return cultural property to the countries from which they once collected it. In Homecoming we follow the personal quest of directors Suvi West and Anssi Kömi (who worked together on the 2021 film Eatnameamet - Our Silent Struggle). This in-depth documentary portrays the return of Sámi artifacts, stored for centuries in a museum in Helsinki, finally returning to their homeland of Sápmi.

West, herself of Sámi descent, investigates whether her ancestors' possessions are part of the collection. The film highlights the emotional impact of separating spiritual and cultural objects from their original owners. With intimate interviews and enhanced by co-director Kömi's beautiful cinematography, Homecoming richly demonstrates how personal identity, cultural value and restorative justice can be intrinsically intertwined and raises the important question of who has the right to a nation's spiritual heritage.