Sámi artefacts from the Finnish National Museum are returning home to Sápmi, while the holy drums of the Sámi people are still imprisoned in the basements of museums across Europe. The returning objects symbolise the dignity, identity, history, connection to ancestors and a whole world view that was taken from the Sámi people. Director Suvi West takes the viewer behind the scenes of the museum world to reflect on the spirit of the objects, the inequality of cultures and the colonialist burden of museums.
Faces Places (2017)
Director Agnès Varda and photographer/muralist JR journey through rural France and form an unlikely friendship.
Finlandia (1922)
A documentary from Erkki Karu, one of the earliest pioneers of Finnish cinema: This government-produced propaganda film introduces the nature, sports, military, agriculture and capital of Finland.
The Threat (1987)
On Saturday, April 26, spring came to Sweden. That same day, Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded. Bringing mild winds to Scandinavia. Sweden suffered heavily of radioactive poison.
Atlas (1931)
The concept of machine-made knit was known as early as the 1850s, but it was only during the 1920s that the quality of the material had improved. When the plant known as "Atlas" was introduced in 1931, the shop windows drew a lot of attention, and Aho & Soldan was ordered to make a promotional film. In this well-paced film, we see the jersey production step by step.
Gerhard Richter: 4 Decades (2005)
Curator Robert Storr takes us through the 2002 MoMA Gerhard Richter retrospective.
Reunion (1946)
Live footage from concentration camps after the liberation, and the complex transport and lodging of masses of prisoners of war and other deported people back to their home countries, at the end of World War II. A 45min 35mm print also exists (shown at Cinémathèque française in 2023).
Regina – Queen of the Ring (2024)
Regina is a young feminist wrestler who fights men to become an international star. However, the true battle in wrestling takes place outside the ring – in the story team meetings.
Viikinki (2022)
Documentary film about Tony Halme, masculinity and populism. The film follows how Tony Halme created a mythical, highly masculine freestyle wrestling character, The Viking, who gained fame both in the ring and in the public eye and eventually became captivated by it. With his brash speeches, Halme fired the starting shot for the rise of the Finns Party. The voice of a forgotten section of the population, a protest against the ruling elite, were the building blocks of Halme's popularity. Halme's great popularity has served as a good example of a populist figure, admired within the deep ranks of the nation, who comes from outside the political elite and changes the direction of politics. Also, despite - or perhaps because of - his openly racist statements, he was part of changing the political climate in Finland to a more acrimonious one.
Köyhät, nöyrät ja häpeämättömät (1999)
Documentary film about four families in Pori, Finland, all struggling with unemployment and poverty.
Zapp Me (2005)
About being young and Sámi, focusing on the topics, pride, love and conflict. Isabel moves from her mother in Stockholm to her father in Jokkmokk. Amoc rap in Aanaarsämikielâ, Inari Sámi, a language used among 400 people. Alette doesn't feel like a Sámi. Thomas is a drummer, snowboards and dream of being an actor. The skier Tonje always fall in love with a Sámi. Why? Jon is adopted from Colombia and joiks a lot. Thomas and Petra plan for their future. Ritva loves horseback riding. Amanda likes theatre and politics. Vocalist Sandra wonders how much Sámi she is. Johan is brought up in a religious home where music is prohibited. Aslak love scooters. Marit was bullied in school because she is a Sámi.
Emergency Call - A Murder Mystery (2014)
A father of four children gets brutally stabbed several times, with the children present in the family home. During the brutal action, his wife – Anneli Auer – is on the phone to the emergency center. Emergency Call – A Murder Mystery is a documentary film tracking down the story that unfolds after the fatal night. We hear from all emerging sides as the prosecution builds its case against the mother of four. A behind the scenes look into one of the most bizarre unsolved court cases in recent Finnish history.
Silicon Valley, Baby. (2020)
Finnish award-winning barista Kalle Freese travels to San Francisco with his girlfriend to start an instant coffee start-up with big goals. At stake are Kalle's health, relationship and the newly formed start-up.
Kelet (2020)
Kelet is a twentysomething black trans woman, whose greatest dream is to be on the cover of Vogue magazine. For the Finnish-born and Manchester-raised Kelet, such models as Naomi Campbell and Iman served as role models giving her strength – and during the darkest times, kept her alive. After coming out, then 19-year-old Kelet was cut off from her family and she moved back to Finland on her own.
Tema: Samer (2008)
The Sámi people (also spelled Sami or Saami) are an indigenous Finno-Ugric people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway and Sweden, northern parts of Finland, and the Kola Peninsula within the Murmansk Oblast of Russia. A single daily newspaper is published in Northern Sámi, Ávvir. There are short daily news bulletins in Northern Sámi on national TV in Norway, Sweden and Finland. There is a Sámi theatre, Beaivvas, in Kautokeino on the Norwegian side, as well as in Kiruna on the Swedish side. The largest Sami Publishing house is Davvi Girji. In this program "Topic: Sámi" filmmaker Nils Gaup presents his latest production, "The Kautokeino Rebellion" (2008), author Ann-Helen Laestadius talks about to seek ones roots, and Isabel Pavval share how it is being a young Sámi and youth culture.
Wimme (2001)
Wimme Saari is one of the best known Sami yoikers from Finland. He combines traditional Sami singing with his own improvisations, usually to a techno-ambient accompaniment by members of Finnish electronic group RinneRadio. Wimme has also appeared on the albums of other bands or musicians, for instance Hedningarna, Nits or Hector Zazou.
The Lappnor Project (2017)
In the Finnish forests was an unclimbed route called the Lappnor project. It was considered to be the hardest climbing route in the world and perhaps impossible for a human. Nalle Hukkataival, a strong Finnish climber took up the challenge. It required almost four years of total commitment and his efforts were followed by hundreds of thousands of climbers around the world. When Nalle finally succeeded, it blew away the whole climbing world like nothing before. The first 9A boulder was climbed! The documentary follows Nalle's journey from the very beginning, all the way to the first ascent almost half a decade later. It captures the incredible dedication that was needed to deal with all the variables and to take that last step to open the next level of climbing.
Rogue Reporters (2021)
The documentary tells the story of the political scandal caused by the book 'The Spoils of Tamminiemi' from the perspective of the journalists who wrote it. The time of the book's publication was the worst time of the Finlandization, Soviet spies worked behind the scenes and the power struggle was heating up, who would be successor of the President Kekkonen? The authors of the book appeared under pseudonyms, but the subjects of the writings were named, and it revealed everything that had been going on behind the scenes.