Sami-Blood (2016) and “Diversity"

Written by Elizabeth Coulter

We want to start to say that we are still here, we still exist, the Sami still exist.

In the Northern region of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia live the Sami people; their distinct cultures and languages varying across this region. Few people have ever heard of the Sami however, and even fewer know much about their culture beyond the tradition of reindeer herding. With her film Sami Blood, Swedish-Sami Director Amanda Kernell calls attention to the prejudice which the Sami people have suffered for so long. Around the world, minority cultures are often forgotten in their own countries; there are certainly parallels between the Sami and Indigenous people in Canada, who when not simply ignored, are lumped together as a relic of the past. Indeed, the way Kernell approaches the topic of Sami discrimination tackles universal themes of identity that everyone can see reflected in their lives and the lives of those around them.

“People have really recognized themselves in the movie. We’ve been showing it in Japan and Canada. So many people have said, “Oh, this film is really about me.” And I hadn’t even thought about it before making it, but it rings true for a lot of people with a migration background. Of course, people can relate even more if they’re from minorities or oppressed groups.”

The film follows Elle-Marja, a young Sami girl who is sent to a Sami boarding school before deciding to disown her heritage and become a Swede. The world of the Sami and the world of the Swedes are set up as distinct spheres that cannot mix. ElleMarja is told not to speak or act Swedish in her Sami home while she is encouraged to become “Swedified” in the boarding school. Of course, distinct differences between cultures are not a bad thing; the traditionally nomadic Sami, many of whom make a life around reindeer herding are necessarily going to have a very different society and values than the “European”, “civilized” Swedes of the cities. As such, Sami Blood asks us to think about what happens when such different cultures and values clash.

Racism is not a clear cut, oversimplified notion in the film; it does not present a black and white case of the “bad”, “racist” Swedes and the “good” Sami, or vice versa. The decisions of every character, Sami or Swede, are rooted in reality. It is in this way, by creating characters and situations real to life, that the film expresses the complex difficulties of two very different cultures coming up against one another. Even in a famously diverse and multicultural city like Toronto, there is always a core set of values, a culture, that ties community together. As a result, Sami Blood challenges us to think beyond whatever formulaic perspective on these issues we have grown comfortable in. We cannot deal with issues of ignored minorities until we have tackled the difficult questions of “diversity”. What really is the “diversity” we talk about? What do we do when different moral outlooks and interests come into conflict with one another?

Works Cited

Kernell, Amanda. “Sami Blood: Amanda Kernell director - interview.” YouTube, published by Brave New Hollywood, 29th June 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gKJ-seihro, 4:29-4:55.

Sparrock, Lene Cecilia and Mia Sparrock. “Award ceremony of the Lux Prize 2017: “And the winner is … Sami Blood by Amanda Kernell.”” YouTube, published by Frédérick Moulin, 14th November 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ7LF3z2r8&t=1009s, 13:36-13:41.