Arctic Encounter: First Sami Film Premieres on Netflix: "I Am Nervous"
![Stjålet. Foto Carl-Johan Utsi_Netflix.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_image/public/2024-04/Stj%C3%A5let.%20Foto%20Carl-Johan%20Utsi_Netflix.jpg?itok=2TFWZgbL "Filmen "Stjålet" skildrer en ung samisk kvinnes kamp for å forsvare sin urfolksarv i en verden der fremmedfrykt øker, klimaendringer truer reindriften og unge mennesker velger selvmord i møte med kollektiv desperasjon. (Foto: Carl-Johan Utsi/Netflix)")
The film Stolen depicts a young Sami woman's fight to defend her indigenous heritage in a world where xenophobia is on the rise, climate change threatens reindeer husbandry, and young people choose suicide in the face of collective desperation. (Photo: Carl-Johan Utsi/Netflix)
For the first time, the streaming service Netflix is showing an original production from Sápmi. Stolen is based on Ann-Helén Laestadius' critically acclaimed book of the same name and premiered on Friday.
"My film premieres on Friday, and I am really nervous," said Director Elle Márjá Eira.
The day before the premiere, she participated in a panel discussion about story-telling in the Arctic at the Arctic Encounter conference in Anchorage, Alaska.
"I do not relate with the story-telling about the North," said Eira during the debate.
Eira wants to reclaim the ownership of Sami stories and be a clear voice for Sami culture.
The movie Stolen, based on the critically acclaimed and best-selling novel by award-winning author Ann-Helén Laestadius, depicts a young woman's fight to defend her cultural heritage in a world where xenophobia is on the rise, climate change threatens reindeer husbandry, and young people choose suicide in the face of collective desperation.
![Ella Marja Eira.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_image/public/2024-04/Ella%20Marja%20Eira.JPG?itok=HYHqctgA "Ella Marja Eira har sin regissørdebut med filmen "Stjålet" på Netflix fredag 12. april. Dagen før deltok hun på konferansen Arctic Encounter i Anchorage, Alaska, i et panel om historiefortelling i Arktis. (Foto: Trine Jonassen)")
Elle Márjá Eira had her directorial debut with the film Stolen on Netflix on Friday, April 12th. She participated in the Arctic Encounter conference in Anchorage, Alaska, the day before, in a panel about storytelling in the Arctic. (Photo: Trine Jonassen)
The story is close to the director's heart. Eira is from a reindeer herding family and sees many similarities between herself and Elsa. Several reindeer herders are also part of the cast.
"This is close to our reality, including the topic of suicide among young people," said Eira.
The story also addresses the tensions that arise when modern times meet a traditional culture with deeply anchored patriarchal structures. Elin Kristina Oskal plays Elsa, the film's protagonist, a role marking the actor's debut in a feature film.
The book's author, Swedish Ann-Helén Laestadius, says this is a dream come true.
"To me as an author, it is a dream, of course, to see my book made into a movie and now reach a whole new audience worldwide. I am thrilled that Netflix, with its range, chooses to promote a Sami story in a major way," said Laestadius in a press release from Netflix in connection with the launch in 2022.
Stolen was initially published in Sweden in 2021 and has since been sold to over 20 countries, including Germany, the UK, the US, and Canada. In September 2021, it was awarded Book of the Year in Sweden.
Eira is also behind the episode depicting the Alta uprising in the political NRK show Makta.
