In a world full of borders and barriers, sometimes we seek comfort in our own little bubbles. Some bubbles seems large, while the others are small. We mostly go through life secluded in these bubbles. But while these bubbles give us comfort, they also separate us, establishing an imaginary walls that make the outside world appear blurry to us.
Through the blur, we still take things for granted. I guess it is difficult to recognize our privilege. Some privileges are more substantial than others, but acknowledging the simple things we take for granted, can help us see through our bubbles in a more meaningful and humbling way.
World beyond our bubbles
Let me focus on one privilege I often take for granted; being heard. In this modern age, it seems like every single person with a phone and a social media account can voice their opinion on any subject no matter what. This way, the world may appear at our fingertips, but actually, this “world” is nothing more than an illusion. According to DataReportal Digital 2022 global overview report, only about half (58.4%) of the world’s population owns an active social media account. Now imagine all the stories that have not yet been told or heard. Imagine the world beyond our bubbles.
Through my internship as a festival writer with Minikino this year, I had the great pleasure of virtually meeting Liisa Holmberg, a Sámi filmmaker who is currently the Film Commissioner of the International Sámi Film Institute (ISFI). For those who are not familiar with the topic, Sápmi is a region inhabited by the Sámi people. They are indigenous group residing in the northern part of the European arctic, divided by the borders of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Northwest of the Russian Federation. Having been around for 7,000 years, The Sámi people have resided in this land far before any modern civilizations.
For thousands of years, especially during the rise of colonization, the Sámi people have endured a lot of hardship. From land dispossession, culture suppression, and forced assimilation, Sámi voices have been drowned out by the majority. This is incredibly troubling when knowing that the Sámi people, like any other indigenous groups, are deeply rooted in their land and ancestors. Telling stories about their past is incredibly vital within their culture.
Storytelling is crucial to them and they are also the original storytellers. They have been telling stories since the period of stone engravings. Some film theorists also see these cave engravings as the earliest type of cinema, narrating stories through drawings seen through the flickering flame of candlelight. Sergei Eisenstein, arguably the originator of formalist film theory, even analogized hieroglyphs with film. Knowing this, telling indigenous stories through film comes very naturally because ultimately, they are the modern time stone carvings.
Although storytelling is deeply rooted in their culture, for a long time, mainstream cinema hasn’t been necessarily inclusive in depicting the Sámi Culture. In the rise of positive representation in film, indigenous stories and perspectives have rarely been included in the conversation. Indigenous stories have not only been drowned out by the majority but also contaminated by destructive stereotypes and representation by people living on the outside. Sámi characters particularly in Northern Europe films have been portrayed with such shallowness and nasty caricatures. Depicting them as poor, uneducated, and alcoholic, when in actuality they are as diverse and complex as any other group.
One of Liisa’s goals is to fundamentally reshape this tendency through her efforts. Fortunately, her endeavors have delivered progress. One of the stories that struck me long after the meeting, was about their peculiar relationship with the behemoth that is The Walt Disney Company.
Breaking free from our bubbles
I’m sure we are familiar with the sensational Disney animated film Frozen (2013). I was twelve years old when this movie was released, and I remember thinking it was unique in its world-building. The wholesome snowman Olaf and the ear candy tunes have indeed been embedded in the modern zeitgeist. What I just found out in 2022 is that the film was supposedly set in Sápmi and was depicting Sámi culture, where Elsa and Anna were meant to be Sámi characters. What was troubling was that Disney, in depicting the Sámi people, had zero interactions or conversations with the Sámi people beforehand. Creating the film entirely inside their own Hollywood bubble.
Fortunately, for the subsequent sequel, Disney made efforts to portray these stories authentically. Liisa shared how by giving input and constructive discussions, their stories could be displayed to the global audience more authentically. Disney thankfully complied and ultimately designed the sequel to fit their culture, even dubbing the songs and dialogue using the Sámi language with Sámi actors portraying its iconic characters. This story shows how inclusivity and accurate representation can come in various ways. Where Liisa, and the ISFI, were not only stern on “who” voices the unheard, but also how to tell them authentically.
Not only helping outsiders in depicting their culture, their efforts, through many sectors and initiatives, have mostly focused on producing truthful and authentic Sámi films by Sámi filmmakers. Emphasizing the right for Sámi people to “tell their own stories”. Throughout our conversation, Liisa highlighted various Sámi filmmakers and films telling authentic Sámi stories. How through building relationships with organizations throughout the world, she manages to help showcase these stories to the main stage. She then showed us Marja Helander’s short film Bird in the Earth (2018). Made by Sámi filmmakers, the film depicts a pair of Sámi ballerinas who dance poetically across the forests and city, which contrast eloquently emphasizes the deep link Sámi people have towards their land.
Liisa is not only passionate about showcasing Sámi films by Sámi filmmakers. Through Skábmagovat, or the Indigenous Peoples’ Film Festival, she helps bring Indigenous films worldwide into the spotlight. Taking place in the middle of the freezing Arctic of Inari, Finland, Indigenous filmmakers from all over the world got the wonderful chance to converse and exchange stories. When I asked Liisa if there’s a major thread that connects these Indigenous films from all over the world, her answer fit right into the impression I had after watching Bird in the Earth; the connection to the land.
She explained that Indigenous people have a deep and profound connection to their land, where nature and the wilderness are deeply rooted within their identity as people. This is where I broke free from my bubble for a moment. As a person living in the city, land was never part of my consciousness or my struggle. In other words, I take this land I live in for granted, never fully knowing who stayed here before me.
To be honest, through this bubble of mine, I knew nothing about Sápmi or the complicated history of the Sámi people prior to the meeting. But hearing Liisa talk so passionately about her people and her extraordinary efforts to voice the unheard was an incredibly inspiring and certainly “bubble-bursting” experience. I was a little nervous at first, as with any of these sessions. But it all disappeared when she stated such a lovely note; “we’re far apart, I’m in the Arctic, and you’re in Indonesia, but we share the same passion.” So thank you, Liisa, for such a great conversation. Hope to see and talk to you in person one day. It doesn’t matter if it’ll be under the hot, tropical weather of Indonesia, or the cold winter breeze of the Arctic, because like the session we had virtually, I’m sure the conversation will be warm.
