Cinema across borders: national differences in SÁMI FILMMAKING in the Nordic countries

The cinema of the Sámi people, of northern Fennoscandia and Russia (Sápmi), has flourished since the turn of the millennium. This thesis summarizes the history of Sámi film, its current infrastructure, and the differences in filmmaking trends between the three Nordic countries of Sápmi. It also includes a list of all known Sámi productions and organizations funding Sámi film. By exploring the differences in funding in the Nordic countries, it examines the relative lack of Sámi film production and infrastructure in Sweden, as compared to Norway and Finland. The paper compares the development of the film industry, in each country of Sápmi, with the political history and current legal status of the Sámi, finding that the success of Sámi film is correlated with greater autonomy in government and language rights.