In honor of the indigenous Sami people of the Nordic region, the Scandinavian Cultural Center & Library of West Newton presented a screening of the movie Je’vida (2023) on Saturday.
The film, directed by Katja Gauriloff, portrays a Sami woman’s struggle to face her past, highlighting themes surrounding identity and assimilation.
The culture center offers a variety of cultural events and opportunities for the Scandinavian community of the Boston area.
This month, the center plans to focus on celebrating the Sami culture, heightening their representation of indigenous peoples and raising awareness among the center’s members. The film is just one of many ways the center is bringing recognition to the indigenous people of Scandinavia, according to Kathryn Baker-Davis, the cultural center’s event assistant.
“We have films, documentaries, and art showcasing Sami culture and heritage,” Baker-Davis said. “A lot of people don’t know about it, even the Scandinavian people that come here.”
Chip Robinson, one of the librarians at the center, said the programming is an effort to address the major indigenous cultures of Scandinavia.
“We’re trying to see that everybody is represented in the art, events, and pastries,” he said.
At 1 p.m., attendees took their seats in the Nordic Hall—the cultural center’s main venue for performances and exhibits—and Robinson introduced the movie, providing some context to the audience. The film was written in the Skolt Sámi language, the director’s native language.
“There’s some magical realism,” Robinson said. “The film is deeply seated over millennia in northern Scandinavian culture. You’ll see a tight connection with nature in this film.”
Mary Ellen Lavenberg, an attendee and a member of the cultural center, said she came into the movie looking to learn more about indigenous cultures. The center screens a couple of movies a month, and Lavenberg is a frequent attendee. She enjoys watching them to learn about other cultures, she said.
“I think we need to raise our awareness and give recognition to these groups of people,” Lavenberg said. “We need to acknowledge what has happened over the years in terms of the attempts to wash them of their cultural background.”
And the film highlighted just that, portraying how Je’vida’s connection to her culture was disrupted by governmental attempts to force assimilation.
Lavenberg and other audience members were emotionally moved by the film, some wiping tears from their eyes as the credits rolled.
“It’s just so sad that this culture was taken away from them,” Lavenberg said. “There was value, but it’s as though their lives had no value because of the way they were put down.”
Through its rich storytelling, the movie captivatingly portrayed what it was like for Je’vida to sort through her memories and process the complexity of habituation and forced change.
“It brings up deep questions in a gentle way,” Robinson said. “It’s truly beautiful and meaningful on many levels.”
The cultural showcases and the presentation of films such as this have caused members of the community to become more intrigued by the cultures of indigenous peoples, Baker-Davis said.
“People seem to be quite intrigued every single time we have a movie or event,” Baker-Davis said. “They ask questions, wanting to get to know the culture better.”
For viewers like Lavenberg, the film shed light on a little-known perspective.
“This movie was an eye-opening experience,” Lavenberg said. “We don’t often think of the indigenous people in European countries, and it’s great to learn about them, what they’re doing, and how they view things.”
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