Saguenay international
short film festival

Synopsis

In my hand is the story of the indigenous activist Niillas Somby, which explores the personal and historical struggles of the Sámi people. The film navigates between imprisonment, protests, and surreal encounters, providing a unique insight into one man's extraordinary journey.

Production :
Fount Films, Paranord Film, Sons of Lumiére and Vaja Filmproductions
Music :
ISAK, Mathias Josefson, Hilda Länsmän and Tuomas Nuorvio
Sound designer :
Mikael Brodin
Screenplay :
Liselotte Wajstedt
Cast :
Mihkkal Haette, Stig Frode Henriksen and Niillas Somby
Director :
Marja Helander and Liselotte Wajstedt
Editing :
Mauri Lähdesmäki
Cinematographer :
Mauri Lähdesmäki

In competition for :


Alanis Obomsawin Award

Direction
  • Liselotte Wajstedt

    Liselotte Wajstedt (b. 1973) is a Sámi artist and filmmaker whose work spans from film and video to collage, painting, photography, sculpture, textiles, and installation. Behind her, she has an education in painting and arts from The Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm, in addition to animation and experimental filmmaking with special emphasis on documentary storytelling and scriptwriting from the Gotland University. Her experimental moving image body of work comprises over two dozen shorts and feature-length films.

  • Marja Helander

    Marja Helander (b. 1965) is an award-winning Sámi artist and filmmaker from Finland. She graduated from the University of Art and Design in Helsinki in 1999. Her earlier work explored her identity between the Finnish and Sámi cultures. Her recent photographic work has focused on the northern landscape, exploring the link between the mining industry and today’s standard of living and culture of consumption, particularly the impact of mining on the sensitive northern nature. Her latest works include Áfruvvá (2022) and Birds in the Earth (2018) which won several awards and was a part of the Sundance Film Festival 2019 short film competition.