Films from the North on Tour - Next stop: Riddu Riđđu

Indigenous Voices

When Riddu Riđđu invites audiences to the festival in Manndalen from July 10–13, Films from the North is once again part of the program. In collaboration with the international Indigenous festival, Tromsø International Film Festival presents the short film program Indigenous Voices – featuring four films that highlight powerful, personal, and political stories from Greenland, Canada, Russia, and Sápmi.

The films explore languages on the verge of disappearing, ice that no longer forms, the loss of family members, and the courage to stand up for one’s own culture and environment.

“Riddu Riđđu and TIFF share a strong commitment to amplifying stories that matter and voices that are too often unheard. The Indigenous Voices program presents a wide range of perspectives and experiences that are both personal and universally relevant, from across the circumpolar region. We are proud to collaborate with Riddu Riđđu to bring these films to audiences in Manndalen, and we hope they will move, inspire, and spark new conversations,” says Lisa Hoen, Festival Director of Tromsø International Film Festival.

Film producer Linn Henriksen, based in Alta and part of Paranord Film, will introduce the screening at Riddu Riđđu. She produced IN MY HAND, which won the main prize in TIFF’s short film competition in January and represented Sápmi at the Cannes Film Market in 2023.

“As a producer, I think it’s fantastic that Riddu Riđđu, in collaboration with Films from the North, is shining a spotlight on films from the North and creating a platform for local voices through the Indigenous Voices program. I’m thrilled to bring IN MY HAND to the festival, in such fine and powerful company,” says Henriksen.

These short films will be shown at Riddu Riđđu:

IN MY HAND

Directors: Liselotte Wajstedt & Marja Helander
Countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland
Duration: 23 min | Language: Northern Sámi

A true story of Sámi activism, identity, and unrest. Through Niillas Somby's life, we encounter imprisonment, protest, surreal experiences – and a deep love for nature that still must be defended.

SIKOQQINNGISAANNASSOOQ

Director: Adam Sébire
Countries: Greenland, Norway
Duration: 15 min | Language: Kalaallisut

Climate change is forcing new realities in Greenland. Youths write ancient words in the snow – words that may soon become meaningless. A film where nature and language speak together before they vanish.

RAVEN (DATRIN)

Director: Douglas Joe
Country: Canada
Duration: 7 min

An elderly Gwich’in woman dreams of the last raven – and the last word in her language. A film that makes the everyday feel mythical, and asks: who do you speak to, when no one understands anymore?

UKKO

Director: Arina Mado
Country: Russia
Duration: 16 min | Language: Karelian

A child loses her beloved cow and must navigate grief after her grandfather's passing by reaching out to the dead. A supernatural encounter told through a child's eyes – grounded in Karelian tradition.

The journey continues

Since its beginning, Films from the North has showcased stories from across the circumpolar North. The Indigenous Voices program will travel to Umeå European Film Festival in Sweden and Reykjavík International Film Festival in Iceland later this year. But first, it arrives in our own region – in Manndalen, at Riddu Riđđu.

🎬 Screening: Indigenous Voices will be shown at Riddu Riđđu on Saturday, July 12, 2025.

📍 More information: riddu.no