A film that puts you inside this girls head. And that is it's biggest achievement. And then we're on ride with her through a very new time in her life. And it's an enjoyable ride. Beautifully casted.
26 Reviews
Beautifully sensitive film.
adityakripalani3 September 2018
We meet the Sami, but I wish we could know Christina better
gizmomogwai20 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A sad look back at the effects of a race-obsessed culture in the form of a coming-of-age story, the Lux Prize-winning Sami Blood follows a 14-year-old girl ("Christina") belonging to a people who many outside Europe will be completely unfamiliar with: the Sami, an indigenous people in Sweden and the Nordic region. Ethnic Swedish characters, even when not taking a literal knife to Sami, treat them horribly. The Sami look white, but are regarded as less than human. They're not allowed to use Sami in private conversations at school (similar to Canada's residential schools), they're poked, prodded, and forcibly photographed naked by race scientists, despite clear discomfort, and they're told flat-out their brains are not quite developed. It becomes easy to imagine how National Socialism found a base in Sweden in the time period, as referenced in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, though it never really took off as a major movement.
That said, it can be hard to understand Christina herself. When her teacher so blatantly looks down on her, and will never defend her, what is it that draws Christina to her so? She wants to leave Lapland- I wouldn't be happy there either- but why does she want so badly go with people who hate her? Her love interest, Niklas, shows no signs of wanting anything for her or from her but sex, and it's kind of a mystery why she keeps going back to him too. Some scenes get long and repetitive- the gymnastics scene has no real reason for being that long. Much of this is interesting, though as a coming-of-age it doesn't stand out too far from so many others.
That said, it can be hard to understand Christina herself. When her teacher so blatantly looks down on her, and will never defend her, what is it that draws Christina to her so? She wants to leave Lapland- I wouldn't be happy there either- but why does she want so badly go with people who hate her? Her love interest, Niklas, shows no signs of wanting anything for her or from her but sex, and it's kind of a mystery why she keeps going back to him too. Some scenes get long and repetitive- the gymnastics scene has no real reason for being that long. Much of this is interesting, though as a coming-of-age it doesn't stand out too far from so many others.
fascinating Christina
SnoopyStyle23 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Elderly Christina reluctantly returns to her homeland with her son and granddaughter for her sister's funeral. She had left her culture behind and has grown to hate it. In 1930s Lapland, 14-year-old indigenous Sámi girl, Elle Marja, her younger sister Njenna, and other native children leave their traditional lives for a boarding school to be indoctrinated into western Swedish society.
I am fascinated with the modern day Christina. The past is interesting for the cultural abuse and racism but the elderly Christina is filled with possibilities. There are compelling questions to be asked of her. The past story is filling out the blanks but it has already laid out the ending to some extent. It's really good and the romance is painfully fascinating. I would love for the movie to return to the modern day for its conclusion.
I am fascinated with the modern day Christina. The past is interesting for the cultural abuse and racism but the elderly Christina is filled with possibilities. There are compelling questions to be asked of her. The past story is filling out the blanks but it has already laid out the ending to some extent. It's really good and the romance is painfully fascinating. I would love for the movie to return to the modern day for its conclusion.
Stay true to yourself
MarcoParzivalRocha23 December 2020
Elle Marja, a native of Lapland, faces xenophobia, while suffering a social and cultural wash imposed by Sweden.
I believe that one of the factors that makes this film interesting is the way it explores the subject, in this case, xenophobia and racism, in a country considered by many to be an almost perfect example of modern societies, Sweden.
The story begins with Elle Marja, as a retired teacher, at her sister's funeral, and then takes us into a flashback, where both are young and start attending school.
The process of abandoning culture, the dialect and the mannerisms and gestures themselves is explored in a good way, it fits the time when the individual shapes his personality (adolescence), which allows us to perceive the attitudes that the character adopts throughout the story development.
The photography is very interesting, with that atmosphere of melancholy and loneliness typical of northern European films.
I believe that one of the factors that makes this film interesting is the way it explores the subject, in this case, xenophobia and racism, in a country considered by many to be an almost perfect example of modern societies, Sweden.
The story begins with Elle Marja, as a retired teacher, at her sister's funeral, and then takes us into a flashback, where both are young and start attending school.
The process of abandoning culture, the dialect and the mannerisms and gestures themselves is explored in a good way, it fits the time when the individual shapes his personality (adolescence), which allows us to perceive the attitudes that the character adopts throughout the story development.
The photography is very interesting, with that atmosphere of melancholy and loneliness typical of northern European films.
Probably the best Scandinavian movie in years ?
pulsinger-111 March 2017
I really do like Scandinavian movies and as far as I can remember, there was never a movie from Scandinavia that ever disappointed me. But this movie took me by surprise... It has been 4 days since I've seen this movie at local art-club cinema and yet I still can't stop to think about it. Something changed in my heart and even I'm a very rationale human being, it is difficult to explain why did this movie affect me so deeply. Was it the perfect written story, a subtle story that grabbed me by the soul as how real was it portrayed ? Was it the amazing cinematography of the mysterious and tranquil landscape of Lapland ? Was it the well-balanced camera shots coupled with modest yet powerful and deep soundtrack ? Was it the perfect acting of those young and innocent Saami sisters and the strong bond between them ? Whatever it was, it left me with a powerful and profound feeling inside. And if a movie is capable of achieving exactly this, then it is definitely worth watching.
Another example of colonialism against Indigenous people.
LaxFan9422 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I found this film to be all too familiar with how colonialism does not do any good for its own local Indigenous folks!! No matter where you are in the world, you will find some form of racist colonial agenda working against its own Indigenous people. Unfortunately, the Sami people of Scandinavia were never immune to its horrors resulting from its anti-Indigenous sentiment. This film looks at how Swedish society caused that poor girl to hate her own Sami heritage while also causing to hate herself. After she left her village to try and live in mainstream society, she thought that finding solace with that Swedish young man would have made her life a little easier but it only did the opposite as the boy's parents forced their son to kick her out of their home. Of course, this only made things worse for the girl as she only ended up hating her Sami heritage even more. As a result, she ultimately decided to just pack up and leave her family and friends. She should have never left her village in the first place since she was not the least bit ready to leave. She was too young and inexperienced to do so. This is really a sad story and I blame Swedish society for not making her feel welcome with the exception of that one boy who took her in. Even then, the boy's parents didn't want her there. Anyway, this is a good film nonetheless. That's why I give this one a 7 out of 10.
Provocative, uncomfortable, fantastic.
lundell-stefan17 February 2018
A human document that transcends the limitations of its environment
howard.schumann26 September 2017
Guatemalan Indigenous Leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu Tum said, "We are not myths of the past, ruins in the jungle, or zoos. We are people and we want to be respected." Unfortunately, however, Indigenous people have been the subject of racism and discrimination throughout history. Massacres, forced-march relocation, the "Indian wars", death by starvation and disease form a depressing legacy of man's inhumanity to man. Inspired by the personal experience of director Amanda Kernell's grandmother, the deeply moving Sami Blood is about what Kernell has called an "untold" story and a "dark chapter" in Swedish history. She is referring to the oppression of the indigenous Samis, also known as Lapps, an indigenous people who live in the far northern areas of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
Shot by cinematographers Sophia Olsson and Petrus Sjövik, the film is set in Sweden in the 1930s when the rising tide of nationalist fervor dominated Europe and led to the Nazi's embrace of Eugenics and the theory of the master race. Sami Blood opens in the present day, however, as ninety-year-old Christina (Maj Doris Rimpi) returns to Lapland with her son and granddaughter to attend the funeral of her estranged sister. Traditional yoik-singing does not prevent Christina from becoming morose and withdrawn, retreating to a hotel by herself. The film then flashes back eighty years to the time when Christina (Lene Cecilia Sparrok), then known as Elle-Marja, was a precocious 14-year-old girl living with her sister Njenna (Sparrok's own sister Mia Erika) and her recently widowed mother (Katarina Blind), engaged in reindeer herding.
As in the US and Canada where Native children were sent to residential schools where their language, religion and cultural beliefs were often the object of ridicule, the sisters are sent to a special boarding school where they learn the hard lesson that the world regards them as lesser human beings. The Sami girls are dismissed by local Swedish teens as "circus animals" and "filthy Lapps," and are subject at school to being measured and photographed to prove a physical basis for their inferiority. While singled out for her learning ability by her deceptively supportive teacher, Christina (Hanna Alstrom, "Kingsman: The Secret Service"), Elle-Marja's inquiries about becoming a teacher meets with the reply that Sami's have small brains and are not capable of functioning outside of their own community. "Studies have shown that your people can't get by in town you have to stay here or you'll die out," she says.
In spite of her humiliation, Elle-Marja is able to dream of a more productive future. It is a future, however, that will cause her to turn her back on her family and her heritage, a betrayal that will mark her entire life. In one scene, Elle Marja, who is trying to pass herself off as a "normal Swede," blurts out to her sister, "Get away, you filthy Lapp." When she meets Niklas (Julius Fleischlanderl, "Young Sophie Bell") a good-looking Swedish boy from Uppsala who does not know that she is Sami, her dreams of escaping from the school begin to become real. After her mother refuses to sell a reindeer in order to pay for the education Elle-Marja requires to become a teacher, she changes her name to Christina and pursues her relationship with Niklas.
Showing up at his upscale home, Christina untruthfully tells his mother that Niklas said that she could stay with them. In spite of their growing connection which includes staying overnight in his room, he does not defend her when his mother discovers her to be a Sami and she is asked to leave. She remains determined, however, to start a new life regardless of the barriers she faces. Though Sami Blood covers familiar ground, the pain caused by discrimination can never be routine. What elevates the film to a different level, however, is the quiet but fiercely determined performance of Lena Cecilia Sparrok as Elle-Marja/Christina. While the film is about oppression, it is not a polemic but a human document that transcends the limitations of its environment and makes a universal statement about the longing to fit in, the fear of isolation, and the conflict between the life we are born into and the one we choose for ourselves.
Shot by cinematographers Sophia Olsson and Petrus Sjövik, the film is set in Sweden in the 1930s when the rising tide of nationalist fervor dominated Europe and led to the Nazi's embrace of Eugenics and the theory of the master race. Sami Blood opens in the present day, however, as ninety-year-old Christina (Maj Doris Rimpi) returns to Lapland with her son and granddaughter to attend the funeral of her estranged sister. Traditional yoik-singing does not prevent Christina from becoming morose and withdrawn, retreating to a hotel by herself. The film then flashes back eighty years to the time when Christina (Lene Cecilia Sparrok), then known as Elle-Marja, was a precocious 14-year-old girl living with her sister Njenna (Sparrok's own sister Mia Erika) and her recently widowed mother (Katarina Blind), engaged in reindeer herding.
As in the US and Canada where Native children were sent to residential schools where their language, religion and cultural beliefs were often the object of ridicule, the sisters are sent to a special boarding school where they learn the hard lesson that the world regards them as lesser human beings. The Sami girls are dismissed by local Swedish teens as "circus animals" and "filthy Lapps," and are subject at school to being measured and photographed to prove a physical basis for their inferiority. While singled out for her learning ability by her deceptively supportive teacher, Christina (Hanna Alstrom, "Kingsman: The Secret Service"), Elle-Marja's inquiries about becoming a teacher meets with the reply that Sami's have small brains and are not capable of functioning outside of their own community. "Studies have shown that your people can't get by in town you have to stay here or you'll die out," she says.
In spite of her humiliation, Elle-Marja is able to dream of a more productive future. It is a future, however, that will cause her to turn her back on her family and her heritage, a betrayal that will mark her entire life. In one scene, Elle Marja, who is trying to pass herself off as a "normal Swede," blurts out to her sister, "Get away, you filthy Lapp." When she meets Niklas (Julius Fleischlanderl, "Young Sophie Bell") a good-looking Swedish boy from Uppsala who does not know that she is Sami, her dreams of escaping from the school begin to become real. After her mother refuses to sell a reindeer in order to pay for the education Elle-Marja requires to become a teacher, she changes her name to Christina and pursues her relationship with Niklas.
Showing up at his upscale home, Christina untruthfully tells his mother that Niklas said that she could stay with them. In spite of their growing connection which includes staying overnight in his room, he does not defend her when his mother discovers her to be a Sami and she is asked to leave. She remains determined, however, to start a new life regardless of the barriers she faces. Though Sami Blood covers familiar ground, the pain caused by discrimination can never be routine. What elevates the film to a different level, however, is the quiet but fiercely determined performance of Lena Cecilia Sparrok as Elle-Marja/Christina. While the film is about oppression, it is not a polemic but a human document that transcends the limitations of its environment and makes a universal statement about the longing to fit in, the fear of isolation, and the conflict between the life we are born into and the one we choose for ourselves.
This is a Fantastic Film in Every Way
gsandra-268763 August 2019
I am so glad that Amazon carries foreign films like this -- although it takes some digging to find them.
The lead actress was flawless in her role as a native Lapp who is disdained by the Swedish elite. She plays this with such subtlety and dignity. I wanted to hug her and take her away from all the horrible treatment she received. The scenery is great. Hats off to the director for such a magnificent job. I always find that Nordic films are far and away better than American films. "The Hunt" was the most haunting Nordic film I've ever seen. Such a great film Thank you.
Tedious
billcr124 January 2018
A teenage Sami girl lives in a teepee with her family raising reindeer. The Sami are an indigenous minority in Sweden. The story begins with the girl as an bitter old woman who reluctantly accompanies her son to her sister's funeral. She is bitter about her childhood at a boarding school where Sami children were taught to assimilate and were forced to abandon their culture. It is, of course, a universal story, from the Native Americans here in the United States, to the Irish under the British thumb. Unfortunately, I was bored by this film. Last year, A Man Called Ove was the Swedish entry to the Academy Awards. I believed it should have won. I cannot say the same for Sami Blood.
Perfection at its finest
skt-life7 August 2017
Even for a swede as me the story and history that this film brings up took me by big surprise. And not only that the cinematography, story, acting, well just everything was a solid 10 for me!!
And to be honest, I don't watch that many Swedish films as I usually prefer English speaking films from Britten and America. But this, this you just have to see. A true masterpiece from the writer/director Amanda Kernell and everyone else behind this piece of cinematic perfection!
And to be honest, I don't watch that many Swedish films as I usually prefer English speaking films from Britten and America. But this, this you just have to see. A true masterpiece from the writer/director Amanda Kernell and everyone else behind this piece of cinematic perfection!
the second best Swedish film I have ever watched
gongwenyi19 October 2017
My Swedish teacher highly recommended me this Swedish film and I had always wanted to watched it. It was played during the Vancouver International Film Festival but I just missed it. Finally, I had an opportunity to watch it. The story of Scandinavian indigenous people in this film reminds of the Salish people in Canada. The indigenous people faced huge invasion in culture, education, territory, etc. They were regarded inferior. Especially young indigenous faced self- identity crisis. They were starting to lose themselves in this modern world. Fortunately, governments start to launch cultural project to rescue indigenous culture. But it is far from enough. Films on this topic are a good ways to let the public know about indigenous culture, language, history and stories.
Open Up To This Film
RileyOnFilm12 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
One review I read before watching this movie said, "Open up to this film." That's what I did and I am glad. It is beautiful to look at and it contains a timeless tale.
The haves vs the have-nots: one of the most ageless templates of humankind. This is a Swedish film with English subtitles. That's what's going on here in "Sami Blood." Elle Marja is an old woman reflecting on her life as a young woman who is part of the "Sami Blood" or the reindeer farming peasants. After foul treatment at "school" and discovering a general malaise in the life style she was born into, she decides to impersonate someone in the upper echelon. She is desperate, she will do anything to be part of the higher society.
The Swedish landscapes are incredible and the hardworking director/writer Amanda Kernell makes sure they are in many scenes as background or even just filling the entire frame. These hills tell a story. In interviews she says she had to make decisions similar to this young character. Many of her culture had to decide where they would live. There is a powerful scene where the young woman demands an heirloom from her family so she can continue going to private school under a dead girl's identity. The mother is torn as to what she should do. The "low people" are like native Americans the way they live. They do need money though so this is a demand that borders on insult.
She falls into a relationship with a young man. At first it appears as if they love each other. The cinematography of them dancing and enchanted time time together is wonderfully mesmerizing. Later though, his parents in whose home they are having their affair question her motives and they force him to turn her out. On her way out, she doesn't state her love for him, she is desperate. She only pleads, "Tell them I can work here cleaning." While a sad scene, it goes to show the invisible wall between these two castes of the Swedish countryside.
My daughters are going to "Vid-con" in a few months. We paid for their tickets at Christmas. There, they will see "The Gabby Show" and other of their favorite Youtube stars. These rich famous people are their stars. I couldn't help but draw a parallel to the lower and upper people in this film. Maybe America hasn't come very far in its middle class. Still, I am happy my kids have tickets to something they feel excited about.
As the film concludes, we aren't given a nicely wrapped conclusion. This is one of those films you have to make your own mind up about. For me, it is about the age=old controversy between upper and lower class. The middle class is a new thing America has produced. THrough time people have been either "Haves" or "Have-nots." Can we judge Elle Marja for wanting something better? Was this her only option? He young sister stayed faithfully with the Sami Blood. At a point near the end, at her sister's funeral, Elle Marja rips off the casket lid and her sister's weathered face is revealed. Which lived a truly happier life? This is a longer, historical period piece in a foreign language. It won't appeal to everyone. As for me, I was deeply touched. It lost one point because several scenes took longer than they should have. Beyond that, it's excellent. I give this film a 9/10.
The haves vs the have-nots: one of the most ageless templates of humankind. This is a Swedish film with English subtitles. That's what's going on here in "Sami Blood." Elle Marja is an old woman reflecting on her life as a young woman who is part of the "Sami Blood" or the reindeer farming peasants. After foul treatment at "school" and discovering a general malaise in the life style she was born into, she decides to impersonate someone in the upper echelon. She is desperate, she will do anything to be part of the higher society.
The Swedish landscapes are incredible and the hardworking director/writer Amanda Kernell makes sure they are in many scenes as background or even just filling the entire frame. These hills tell a story. In interviews she says she had to make decisions similar to this young character. Many of her culture had to decide where they would live. There is a powerful scene where the young woman demands an heirloom from her family so she can continue going to private school under a dead girl's identity. The mother is torn as to what she should do. The "low people" are like native Americans the way they live. They do need money though so this is a demand that borders on insult.
She falls into a relationship with a young man. At first it appears as if they love each other. The cinematography of them dancing and enchanted time time together is wonderfully mesmerizing. Later though, his parents in whose home they are having their affair question her motives and they force him to turn her out. On her way out, she doesn't state her love for him, she is desperate. She only pleads, "Tell them I can work here cleaning." While a sad scene, it goes to show the invisible wall between these two castes of the Swedish countryside.
My daughters are going to "Vid-con" in a few months. We paid for their tickets at Christmas. There, they will see "The Gabby Show" and other of their favorite Youtube stars. These rich famous people are their stars. I couldn't help but draw a parallel to the lower and upper people in this film. Maybe America hasn't come very far in its middle class. Still, I am happy my kids have tickets to something they feel excited about.
As the film concludes, we aren't given a nicely wrapped conclusion. This is one of those films you have to make your own mind up about. For me, it is about the age=old controversy between upper and lower class. The middle class is a new thing America has produced. THrough time people have been either "Haves" or "Have-nots." Can we judge Elle Marja for wanting something better? Was this her only option? He young sister stayed faithfully with the Sami Blood. At a point near the end, at her sister's funeral, Elle Marja rips off the casket lid and her sister's weathered face is revealed. Which lived a truly happier life? This is a longer, historical period piece in a foreign language. It won't appeal to everyone. As for me, I was deeply touched. It lost one point because several scenes took longer than they should have. Beyond that, it's excellent. I give this film a 9/10.
And this was the girls first movie????
balticthor22 January 2020
Mindblowing! She couldnt have been better!! Tedious film someone said!? Wow! Well its not Taken1-3.. but still every second i couldnt think of anything else than watch!! Maaaby i would want to see that the movie was some minutes longer,to see more story.. but i get it.. its a 10!!!
Went so far that became in itself "racially biased"
jeremy33 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Why? The movie did a great job portraying the discrimination that Lapp or Sami people faced in 1930s Sweden, but the ethnic/racial component went too far. Swedes are Germanic peoples. So, in attempting to dramatize the discrimination the suggestion was that Lapp people were darker complexioned and the majority of other Swedes were blond and blue eyed. Absolute nonsense. The Germanic peoples were one tribe of people who came into Europe from Asia during the early Christian Era. Also, at roughly the same time from potentially the same areas of Asia came Slavic and Finno-Ugric peoples. The Finns, Latvians, Estonians, and Hungarians are Finno-Ugric. The Celtic peoples came into Europe about a thousand years earlier, probably from roughly the same areas as the latter migrants. Lithuanians, Albanians, and the Basque are perhaps the only peoples in Europe that descend from the original peoples - Stone and Metal Age peoples, such as the makers of Stonehenge were. And Europeans are from a series of migrations. One can find fairer people in southern Europe and darker complexioned people in northern Europe. But one thing is fairly clear, the Mongols came less than a thousand years ago through central Europe. They probably did not extend very far north or very far south. So, the whole idea that Lapp people are somehow darker complexioned than other Swedes is laughable. That aside, what really was at the basis of this movie, and should have been made clear was that the Lapp were, and maybe still are, a marginalized group. Comparable peoples in the United States would be mountain and hill peoples, the Cajuns, French Canadians, and various traditional religious groups. The most famous example of nonracial prejudice in the US was highlighted in the movie and film The Grapes of Wrath - where Oklahomans were discriminated against solely for coming to California in the expectations of work. That would be enough of a story regarding the Lapp's relations with the mainstream Swedes of the 1930s. The kookiness of so called "national socialism" - where because Lapps were traditional peoples who lives isolated and herded reindeer was made very clear. There was nothing wrong with the movie itself. It did an excellent job portraying the plights of the Sami woman and her people. But sadly, her boyfriend is portrayed as blond. All but one Lapp school girl were non blond. The girls at the elite academy she got into were all blond and she was not. That seemed pretty ridiculous.
A Tough Young Lady
westsideschl9 February 2019
Background: The Sámi (often called Lapps by outsiders) peoples have occupied the northern regions of the three Nordic countries, and an adjacent part of Russia for at least the past 10,000 years. Totally around 100,000 peoples in the above mentioned geography (another 30,000 in N. America) most today live in urban settings, but traditionally and to a rural extent today they are/were either fishermen or hunter-gathers & herders (especially reindeer). They have historically undergone cultural dissolution, with Norway perhaps the most egregious, surprisingly similar to what Native North Americans underwent.
Story: We encounter an older Elle-Marja (but for sometime re-naming herself Christina) at the funeral of her deceased sister, Njenna, we then go into a flashback of her life starting as a young women who leaves her reindeer herding life to pursue a different education, and a life fraught w/danger as she tries to assimilate into a xenophobic/racist Swedish life.
11/10 at least...
eliaspiteros1 September 2021
Beautiful, eye-opening!
kristinajanelawson28 April 2019
I didn't even know about the discrimination the Sami people experienced. This was an incredibly well portrayed life of a life that could have easily gone two ways. The amount of courage and resilience we see is inspiring. The scenery is stunning and the soundtrack speaks to the soul. Highly recommend!
Should be MUCH better known than it is.
sarcasm_for_free26 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I love movies that captivate you, as well as helping you learn something new.
Sami Blood is a case in point: how many people, outside the Scandinavian region, has even heard of the Sami people? How bullied and ostracised they were, by the surrounding countries, including Norway and Sweden? That their nomadic lifestyle, including the herding of reindeer, heavily influenced the Frozen movies? In this film, a couple of characters are even called Elsa and Olof. Spooky!
In any case, parallels can also be drawn towards the mistreatment of Aboriginal people in Australia, including racist attempts to 'civilise' them and the use of slurs to demean them in everyday life. Not to mention, the taking of their native lands by consecutive governments, a shameful practice which still goes on today. You see what quality movies can do? They can motivate you to study the subject matter further!
Lene Cecelia Sparrok's performance as the girl who goes on a long journey, both mentally and psychically, could not be bettered. This was her very first movie, and she handles some very difficult emotional scenes with the poise and conviction of a seasoned star. Apparently, after she'd finished shooting Sami Blood, her intention was to return to her old lifestyle, with no future plans to act. Her choice of course, but in my view this would be similar to winning the lottery but continuing to live in a council house.
The action is bookended by two segments featuring Sparrok as an elderly lady many years later, and her attending the funeral of her estranged sister forms a bittersweet epilogue around the events catalogued here. Made with a half-Sami director, and with the direct cooperation of the Sami people themselves, you know you're getting authenticity... and, just as importantly, great entertainment too. 8/10
Sami Blood is a case in point: how many people, outside the Scandinavian region, has even heard of the Sami people? How bullied and ostracised they were, by the surrounding countries, including Norway and Sweden? That their nomadic lifestyle, including the herding of reindeer, heavily influenced the Frozen movies? In this film, a couple of characters are even called Elsa and Olof. Spooky!
In any case, parallels can also be drawn towards the mistreatment of Aboriginal people in Australia, including racist attempts to 'civilise' them and the use of slurs to demean them in everyday life. Not to mention, the taking of their native lands by consecutive governments, a shameful practice which still goes on today. You see what quality movies can do? They can motivate you to study the subject matter further!
Lene Cecelia Sparrok's performance as the girl who goes on a long journey, both mentally and psychically, could not be bettered. This was her very first movie, and she handles some very difficult emotional scenes with the poise and conviction of a seasoned star. Apparently, after she'd finished shooting Sami Blood, her intention was to return to her old lifestyle, with no future plans to act. Her choice of course, but in my view this would be similar to winning the lottery but continuing to live in a council house.
The action is bookended by two segments featuring Sparrok as an elderly lady many years later, and her attending the funeral of her estranged sister forms a bittersweet epilogue around the events catalogued here. Made with a half-Sami director, and with the direct cooperation of the Sami people themselves, you know you're getting authenticity... and, just as importantly, great entertainment too. 8/10
Deep movie!
asalabdi21 April 2019
Foreign subject. Great acting
sethdchapman6 June 2018
A shocking portrayal of discrimination against Sami people
frankde-jong19 November 2023
When you hear about the subject of treating native people badly you think about America (American Indians) and Australia (Aboriginals) but not about Sweden, that has an image of great tolerance.
This image however is severely damaged in the film "Sameblod". This film shows how Sami people are discriminated against in the '30s. More particularly it shows how a Sami girl (Elle Marja played by Lene Cecilia Sparrok) is treated at school.
This summer I was in Jokkmokk, an important Sami municipality in the Noth of Sweden and also an important cultural center for the Sami. The story of the film was confirmed in the local museum.
Two scenes in the film were very memorable to me.
The first one is a very degrading medical examination of Elle Marja. She is ordered to undress in the presence of others. The volume of her skull is measured, the hypothesis being that this volume is smaller than that of "normal" Swedes, as if Sami people are some sort of Neanderthal.
In the secons scene Elle Marja has lost a fight against a couple of Swedish boys. When she's on the ground the boys try to cut her ear with a knife, as if she is some kind of animal that has to be marked.
The film is however not only about the way the Swedish people behave (although that was the most shocking part for me), but also about the way Elle Marja reacts.
Elle Marja wants to go to the university. That was very unusual for Sami people, the general opinion at that time being that Sami need minimal education because they are going to herd reindeer after all.
In persuing her dream Elle Marja has to adapt to Swedish culture and to a certain extent fosrsake Sami culture. She comes in between two worlds. This is maybe the real theme of the movie.
This theme is portrayed more nuanced than in for example "Imitation of life" (1959, Douglas Sirk). In that film the black Sarah Jane forsakes her own culture not to a certain extent but completely. She is ashamed of being black. Elle Marja is never ashamed of being Sami.
"Sameblod" is a very interesting film about a black spot in Swedish history. One minor minus is in my opinion the fact that the classmates of Elle Marja are all very blond and very Swede. That could have been a little less exaggerated.
This image however is severely damaged in the film "Sameblod". This film shows how Sami people are discriminated against in the '30s. More particularly it shows how a Sami girl (Elle Marja played by Lene Cecilia Sparrok) is treated at school.
This summer I was in Jokkmokk, an important Sami municipality in the Noth of Sweden and also an important cultural center for the Sami. The story of the film was confirmed in the local museum.
Two scenes in the film were very memorable to me.
The first one is a very degrading medical examination of Elle Marja. She is ordered to undress in the presence of others. The volume of her skull is measured, the hypothesis being that this volume is smaller than that of "normal" Swedes, as if Sami people are some sort of Neanderthal.
In the secons scene Elle Marja has lost a fight against a couple of Swedish boys. When she's on the ground the boys try to cut her ear with a knife, as if she is some kind of animal that has to be marked.
The film is however not only about the way the Swedish people behave (although that was the most shocking part for me), but also about the way Elle Marja reacts.
Elle Marja wants to go to the university. That was very unusual for Sami people, the general opinion at that time being that Sami need minimal education because they are going to herd reindeer after all.
In persuing her dream Elle Marja has to adapt to Swedish culture and to a certain extent fosrsake Sami culture. She comes in between two worlds. This is maybe the real theme of the movie.
This theme is portrayed more nuanced than in for example "Imitation of life" (1959, Douglas Sirk). In that film the black Sarah Jane forsakes her own culture not to a certain extent but completely. She is ashamed of being black. Elle Marja is never ashamed of being Sami.
"Sameblod" is a very interesting film about a black spot in Swedish history. One minor minus is in my opinion the fact that the classmates of Elle Marja are all very blond and very Swede. That could have been a little less exaggerated.
Best Movie
constitution-340988 October 2022
I really enjoyed this movie because of the time period it was written. I believe a sequel should be used for a different character during World War 1 to know more about if it was similar or different then.
The cast members were fantastic displaying what it was like then to be an indigenous minority in the global world. Hopefully more people will be able to see if this is the type of movie for them in remembrance of people who survived and lost their lives at this point in time.
I strongly recommend this movie to mature audiences and don't recommend children watching this alone as it contains intense and graphic images.
The cast members were fantastic displaying what it was like then to be an indigenous minority in the global world. Hopefully more people will be able to see if this is the type of movie for them in remembrance of people who survived and lost their lives at this point in time.
I strongly recommend this movie to mature audiences and don't recommend children watching this alone as it contains intense and graphic images.
Minority issue
solkimsabarab8 January 2021
I loved the film, I am very happy that the issue of indigenous minorities appears in the works of filmmakers. I was particularly pleased with Amanda Kernell's presentation: there are still prejudices against minorities, even in a tolerant country that accepts multiculturalism (Sweden), the majority is a pretty clear when it comes to where it is the minority place in the country. Can be imagined what is happening in Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, etc. with minorities.
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