No. 50 (2023) LET THE RIVER FLOW (ELLOS EATNU - LA ELVA LEVE) Saxo: Palace (Aust) Scandinavian Film Festival July 10th.

 

Film No. 50  (2023)  July 10th.  6:30 PM  PALACE Raine Sq, Cinema 6, Perth City.

"You can smell it when they come to town. They smell like Lapps" (Ester sits amongst her work colleagues, in the staffroom, listening to them make fun of locals upholding their Sami heritage).

WINNER: (Ole Glaever), 2 X Audience Award, Tromso & Goteborg Film Festivals 2023. NOMINEE: Best Feature (Ole Glaever) Seattle Film Festival 2023.

 

A film that, in two hours, takes you into a world (Norway) where the history, social connection, family and politics is placed into focus in a balanced and heartfelt manner leads to a fantastic cinema experience. LET THE RIVER FLOW is most definitely a film depicting just one of the turning points in contemporary times (70's) which has lead to a resurgence of the Sami traditions in Norway.

I've read criticisms about the film's focus. Is it a story about the saving of The Alta river or is it the repression metered out by the Norwegians on the traditional, indigenous Sami people? Well from where I was sitting it told the story of Ester (Ella Marie Haetta Isaksen), a young teacher of Sami heritage, trying to fit in (The Norwegian way) who returns home and becomes a woman. It sounds simplistic but the complications that come with discovering who she really is, played out against a background of protest and prejudices forces Ester into understanding where her loyalties really lie.

The based on real events tag preceding LTRF, refers to the campaign lead by the Sami people in the 70's and 80's to stop the damming of the Alta river. The fact the Sami's had become lionised and repressed over hundreds of years made their campaign tough. Our fictional character, Ester, a teacher, an influencer of young minds, fast-tracks us into an understanding of a silent war so few outsiders comprehend. If not taking the soft option of returning home to work, gain strong passion to campaign, wrestle with family tragedy then finally speaking her native tongue publicly, Ester may not have found real solace.

"This is the best movie I have ever experienced that tells a story that exactly captures how I have felt for years. I hope many people of all nations get to see this film; I fear that may not be the case". These are the words of an indigenous Sami, elated there is now a quality film that tells their story. There could be no more powerful a recommendation. Everything about LET THE RIVER FLOW captures the essence of quality, cinema story telling.  11GUMS.