Reindeer keep failing in their herds.
The nursery of Santa’s sleigh power is at risk due to changing times and market forces according to this little gem set in the nether regions of Norway.
After living for many years in Oslo, Sámi artist Lena (Risten Anine Kvernmo Gaup) moves back to Sápmi in Northern Norway with her young son to explore Sámi gender in an art project.
Lena left her rural roots under somewhat of a cloud, a reindeer herder of natural talent and ability, she forsook her craft and inheritance to make art in the capital, harking the call for a different vocation and turning her back on tradition.
Returning to the wintry tundra, she encounters suspicion and hostility, simultaneously falling in love with hardworking but mother smothered reindeer herder, Máhtte (Nils Ailu Kemi).
Lena is likewise suffocated by the expectations of others in the town, including her own mother, who view her as an outsider, and Máhtte’s mother, the matriarch of the family, who disapproves of the relationship blossoming between her son and the prodigal artist.
As decisions from the past come to haunt her and her art is questioned, Lena struggles to find out whether her and Máhtte’s lifestyles can ever be compatible.
With shades of The Taming of the Shrew, THE TUNDRA WITHIN ME is a noteworthy directorial debut from writer/director Sara Margrethe Oskal, a former reindeer herder, who knows a thing or two bout antler wrangling.
A poignant exploration of heritage, authenticity, resilience and identity, THE TUNDRA WITHIN ME is a romantic drama that reveals the depth of connection between the Sámi people, the environment of awe-inspiring icy landscapes and reindeer herding.
Presented in Sámi, Norwegian with English subtitles, THE TUNDRA WITHIN ME is part of this year’s Saxo Scandinavian Film Festival. Sydney: 24 July – 14 August, Palace Norton St, Palace Moore Park, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema. scandinavianfilmfestival.com
