A film by Mari Bjørnsdatter Knudsen,
Country: Norway,
Duration: 27min,
Language: Norwegian,
Subtitles: English,
Year: 2003
Greater Than Ourselves
A film by Anita Lervoll,
Country: Norway,
Duration: 35min,
Language: Norwegian,
Subtitles: English,
Year: 2004
The indigenous peoples-festival, Riddu Riddu, “a storm by the coast”, was arranged for the 12th time in Gàivuotna/Kåfjord, Northern Norway in the summer of 2003. During the festival-week, the population in the small village is tripled, and all those who work for the festival, except the producer, are volunteers. Altogether 300 people were involved in the work this year. This film is mainly about the people behind the festival, focused on the reasons why these people spend great amounts of their time and energy on their work as volunteers for this festival. Parts of Riddu Riddu`s history will be portrayed, in addition to parts of the history of the Coastal Sami people in Norway. The film will also show glimpses of events during the festival-week: the children’s festival, seminars, classes, and concerts.
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Giving Birth in Northern Landscape
A film by Toril Hanson,
Country: Norway,
Duration: 34min,
Language: Norwegian,
Subtitles: English,
Year: 2002
The film is about giving birth in northern Norway. It also deals with contemporary midwifery practices, Western medicine, and the challenge of the centralization and decentralization of health services. Through a Saami woman, we learn about traditional Saami ways of birth and midwifery. Voices of different women – mothers and midwives, contemporary and traditional are heard.
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Autumn on Ob River
A film by Janno Simm,
Country: Russia,
Duration: 46min,
Language: Russian,
Subtitles: English,
Year: 2003
Near the mouth of Ob River in North-Western Siberia live the northernmost families of 22500 Khanty people. In conditions of a harsh polar environment and post-Soviet unpredictability, coping is a challenge. Like many of their neighbors – kinsmen, the Tobolko family is a part of a fishing brigade. To survive, when pay is scarce and even that has not been paid for months, they employ the traditional economical model of Arctic, where hunting and reindeer herding add value to fishing activities. The film follows the autumnal activity of a Khanty fisherman family: end of main fishing season – moving over to winter settlement, hunting, and reindeer herding activities. There is a story about “indigenous accountancy”- a unique balance system between fishing and reindeer herding Khanty, knowledge of fishing and hunting grounds…
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Across Troubled Water
A film by Petia Mankova,
Country: Russia,
Duration: 29min,
Language: Russian,
Subtitles: English,
Year: 2000
The film is about the everyday life in Krasnoschelye, an isolated village in the heart of the tundra on Kola peninsula (North-West Russia) and how the local eople experience the political and economic reforms of the last ten years.
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Doing the Norway
A film by Gry Mortensen,
Country: USA,
Duration: 31min,
Language: English,
Subtitles: English,
Year: 2009
In Petersburg, Alaska, the inhabitants celebrate their Norwegian heritage with great enthusiasm. By the use of old symbols and artefacts, and the annual “Little Norway Festival”, an abstract relationship with “the old country” is constituted. For some, being “Norwegian” plays a vital role in the making of identity, even though the bloodline is getting washed out and the first-hand connection with Norway is limited. The strive for belonging and people’s need to feel special are fundamental subjects in this film, as we follow Vikings and Valkyries, Leikarring Dancers, Rosemalers and other inhabitants.