Movie Posters :
This was a remarkable coming of age story with an incredibly strong lead performance. Set in the 1930′s, the story follows fourteen year old Elle-Marja as she struggles with her own identity and to determine what she wants out of life. A Sami girl in Sweden, she is sent to a state school intent on conforming her and other Sami children to more main stream Swedish culture. It is there, as she comes of age, that Elle-Marja discovers ambition, racism and her own inner strength. Driven by ambition and by the scars she carries from the effects of eugenics and racial ideology, Elle-Marja becomes conflicted about herself and her identity as a Sami girl. She struggles with other’s expectations of her, her own anger and her desire to experience life. While coming of age stories are not new, I particularly liked the way Elle-Marja’s rage and anger was portrayed. Growing up I never felt as though there were many coming of age stories about girls that really addressed that issue. This was almost cathartic to see. The scenery in the film is beautiful, the lead actress (Lene Cecelia Sparrok) was fantastic and the story was powerfully raw and emotional. I enjoyed watching it a great deal and was so struck by the film’s power that I watched it back to back two days in a row! It is also notable for being one of the few films to center around Sami people and to have all Sami people played by Sami actors. For people interested in history, people who enjoy good coming of age stories or perhaps just people looking for a powerful movie to watch, I would highly recommend this one. I feel that I will most probably return to it some time again soon.
