The directors of two recent documentaries about indigenous peoples discuss their work and experiences. Kenneth Sorento’s work Kampen om Grønland (Denmark, 2020) is about the struggle for independence in Greenland, while Suvi West’s work Eatnameamet – Our Silent Struggle (Finland, 2021) concerns the right to self-determination in Sami areas.
Kampen om Grønland offers a unique insight into Greenland at a time of change – this is about the fight of four powerful Greenlanders at a time when the island’s future is more important than ever. What does the future have in store for Greenland? Should it become independent or strengthen ties with Denmark? The film does not lean either way, but shows us a multifaceted picture of Greenlandic society. Nordic Culture Point will be showing the film online on 11 May, read more here.
The much-talked-about work Eatnameamet – Our Silent Struggle is about the Sami struggle for their existence and their uncertain future, which has long been determined by government decisions. In the filmmakers own words, this work is both a pamphlet and a cry for help from the last indigenous people in Europe, calling for a future with strong Sami voices. The film will premiere in Finnish cinemas later this spring and will be shown online exclusively by Nordic Culture Point on 18 May.
The discussion between Kenneth Sorento and Suvi West will be moderated by Lia Markelin, a social analyst at the think tank Magma. Her research has been centred on minority politics and she has previously worked at the Sámi University of Applied Sciences in Kautokeino, Norway.
Lia Markelin
