THE 68TH NORDIC FILM DAYS LÜBECK present an Homage by Anne Lajla Utsi

SÁMI CINEMA TAKES CENTRE STAGE IN LÜBECK

How does one choose just five films to tell the story of a film culture that was almost invisible for decades and now draws international attention? That was the challenge faced by Anne Lajla Utsi, the recipient this year’s Nordic Film Days Lübeck Honorary Award. 

The Nordic Film Days Lübeck (NFL) present an Homage programme curated by honorary award recipient Anne Lajla Utsi. The director of the International Sámi Film Institute traces almost four decades of Sámi film history with her personal selection of five films to screen during the NFL from November 4 – 8, 2026. The Homage is part of the overall focus of the Nordic Film Days Lübeck, a motif that will run across several sections and events: Sámi filmmaking and stories from the northernmost film culture in Europe.

Each of the five films highlights a turning point in the development of sámi cinema. As a whole, they tell the story of a how a long-stifled culture of storytelling metamorphosed into a film industry that now garners attention world-wide. From an international breakthrough to reclaiming the language and cultural identity, to current political and societal discourse, the chosen films range across issues right up to the present day.

Anne Lajla Utsi, puts it this way,

“Taken together, the five feature films cover the history of a cinema culture that had to fight for visibility for many years, and now tells their own stories with great confidence. They stand for different generations, perspectives, and artistic forms, demonstrating how vital and diverse sámi cinema is today.”

The artistic director of the Nordic Film Days Lübeck, Hanna Reifgerst, adds,

“The Homage is not a nostalgia-driven retrospective. Instead, it shows how a dynamic cinema landscape that is recognised world-wide emerged from a culture that had long been marginalised. So Anne Lajla Utsi’s selection does not look backwards, rather it gives audiences a chance to understand why sámi cinema is more relevant than ever right now.”

The five films in the Homage program are Pathfinder (1987), directed by Nils Gaup; Sámi Blood (2016), directed by Amanda Kernell; Rádji (2021), directed by John Erling Utsi and Georg Götmark; Je’vida (2023), directed by Katja Gauriloff; and Homecoming (2023), directed by Suvi West. Read the full press release and explore the selection on the Nordic Film Days Lübeck website.

About Nordic Film Days Lübeck

The 68th Nordic Film Days Lübeck will run from November 4 – 8, 2026. The Nordic Film Days Lübeck, first mounted in 1956, are among the film festivals with the longest tradition in the world. They are the only large-scale audience festival and important gathering spot for the German and European film industry that specialises in presenting films from the north and the northeast of the continent. The festival is presented by the city of Lübeck, in cooperation with the film institutes and foundations of the Nordic countries, as well as the Baltic States.

Photo of Pathfinder (1987), directed by Nils Gaup.