19-25 January
2026
In a rare Indigenous-against-Indigenous courtroom battle shaped by a long history of state oppression, Northern and Southern Sámi descendants fight over land, reindeer herding – and ultimately the right to be Sámi.
In the 1920s, the Swedish state ordered the forced relocation of North Sámi to the South Sámi area of Vapsten. Today, their descendants are fighting over land, reindeer herding, and the right to be Sámi. How can they agree on the future when the past was experienced so differently? The South Sámi feel they were robbed of their identity and way of life. The North Sámi fear they will have to move their entire livelihood — just like their ancestors — if the South Sámi gain herding rights in the area. Now, they meet in court.
This documentary offers a sensitive insight into how state intervention continues to divide a people and has created ever-festering wounds in two Sámi cultures, passed down through generations. The film also shows how essential the relationship to reindeer is for Sámi identity and how differently this plays out across Sámi traditions. This case is about more than law — it is deeply personal. Director Ellen-Astri Lundby is Sea Sámi and brings a profound understanding of both sides of this painful conflict.
Ellen-Astri Lundby (b. 1959) is a Norwegian filmmaker who grew up in Oslo. As an adult, she discovered that her mother was of Sámi descent. Since then, she has made several documentaries that investigate Sámi identity.
2019 Brennende minner
2014 Joikefeber
2009 Min mors hemmelighet
| Programme: | Films From the North - Features |
| Director: | Ellen Astri Lundby |
| Country: | Norway, Sweden |
| Year: | 2026 |
| Run time: | 1h 17m |
| Dialogue: | Swedish, Sami |
| Subtitles: | English |
| Producer: | Johanna Dorothea Raita , Mette Cheng Munthe-Kaas |
| Age limit: | 15 |