A riveting feature-length directorial debut by a talented Swedish screenwriter
Amanda Kernell, Sami Blood takes an in-depth inside look at the Sámi
ethnic minority’s life in Sweden and almost physically depicts the darkest
parts of the country’s colonialist history.
The main character of the story is Elle Marja, a 14-year-old Sámi girl whose
family lives off breeding reindeers behind the Arctic Circle in the 1930s.
After she is exposed to ubiquitous racism of the era and subjected to
a humiliating examination at her boarding school, she begins to dream of
a new, different life. But in order to attain it, she must become somebody
else, which means severing all bonds with her family and culture. Besides
the poignantly realistic atmosphere, the film’s impact is amplified by the
impressive performance by Lene Cecilia Sparrok, a debuting young actress
who portrayed the heroine.