Sámi Stories première: Árru

This special opening of our Sámi Stories special will focus on the contemporary film culture of Sápmi — home of the Sámi in northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. More than ever, Sámi filmmakers are producing films, and the Noordelijk Film Festival is bringing a selection of these, with special guests, to Leeuwarden.

The evening marks the start of a multi-day special, celebrating the connection between Fryslân and Northern Europe: two regions with their own language, culture and identity, connected by the power of film. In the presence of the ambassadors of Norway, Sweden and Finland, and in collaboration with partners from Sápmi and the Nordic countries, we explore how film preserves stories, makes them visible and creates connections across borders.

During the official opening, there will be a reading from work by Sámi poet Nils-Aslak Valkeapää. His poetry has, only this year, been translated for the first time into Frisian and Dutch. Following a short conversation with actor Mikkel Gaup, the premiere will start of Árru (Elle Sofe Sara, Norway, 2026): 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 seen during the Noordelijk Film Festival in the Oscar-nominated film Pathfinder (1987), and will host an exclusive joik workshop in collaboration with Explore the North.