Films from the North: Erotic silent film with electronic music and
award-winning film "Let the River Flow"
An erotic silent film with a live performance by a renowned Norwegian electronic musician is one of the highlights RIFF this year. The event is part of a collaboration RIFF – Reykjavik International Film Festival and Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF).
In collaboration with the Norwegian Friends Festival TIFF, the award-winning film "Let the River Flow" will also be screened, which deals with the situation of the Sami people and the Norwegian government's aggression in their homeland.
Thirdly, a selection of short films from the Arctic regions, including Canada, Greenland and Norway, will be screened. The short film series will also be shown at Harpa on the Arctic Circle later this month.
The electronic music woman Charlotte Bendiks has achieved international success and is well known in Norwegian underground music.
The concert will be on October 5th at 9:30 PM in University Cinema where the Danish film The Abyss (Afgrunden // The Abyss) from 1910 will be shown along with live music performed by the Norwegian electronic musician Charlotte Bendiks.
The Abyss is a silent, erotic film that was shot Astu Nielsen, one of Denmark's greatest actresses of the silent era, to stardom. The film's director, Urban Gad, wrote the script and dedicated the film to Asta. Nielsen's unabashed performance in the film, and especially her provocative dance routine, led to the film being censored in both Norway and Sweden.
The film has strong feminist undertones that speak to the liberation of the female body and provoked an extremely strong reaction when it was first shown.
RIFF festival pass holders receive a 20% discount on this special event.
Let the River Flow / Let the river flow / La elva leve
Let the River Flow is an amazing film by Norwegian director and screenwriter Ole Giaever, based on true events that had a huge impact on Norwegian society.
Ester is a young Sami woman who hides her origins to avoid being discriminated against. When Ester suddenly finds herself in the middle of a protest against the construction of a large dam in Alta, she begins to shake off the shame she has carried for so long.
After the screening, there will be a discussion where Ole Sandberg, a scholar at the University of Iceland and spokesperson for BIODICE, a festival on biodiversity, will chat with Lisa Therese Hoen, director of the Tromsø Film Festival, about the film and its subject matter. The screening and discussion will take place at the University Theatre on October 6th at 3:15 PM.
Ole Sandberg says that to protect the environment, it is necessary to consider all aspects of society.
“Respecting indigenous people is extremely important as they are often the main guardians of nature,” he says, but there has been a big change in Norwegian society in how the Sami are treated. “For a long time now, the focus has been on climate change, and of course we must do everything in our power to combat it. But we cannot look at it as a separate issue. Instead of removing the Sami from their lands, we should learn from them and how they live in balance with nature.”
Let the River Flow goes on public display in Cinema Paradise this winter.
Pictures from the North: Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic
The indigenous peoples of the Arctic and their culture are the subject of a short film category screened at RIFF, also in collaboration with TIFF. The films shown in the short film category are:
Ivalu / The Disappearance of Ivalu
Andres Walter, Pipaluk K. Jørgensen, DK, 2023, 16 min
Academy Award Nomination
Ivalu is missing. Her little sister is desperately trying to find her, but their father doesn't care. The vast Greenlandic nature holds secrets. The search for Ivalu has begun.
The Land of Whispering Stars / Belaya Zemlya
Ayaal Adamov, RU, 2022, 15 min
On the shores of the Laptev Sea, there is nothing but endless tundra and the tiny Evenk village of Naiba. How do people survive there and what do they do?
Arctic Song
Germaine Arnattaujuq, Neil Christopher, Louise Flaherty, CA, 2021, 6 min
A beautiful animated film that tells the stories of how the land, sea, and sky were created. The film tells traditional Inuit stories from the Iglulik region of Nunavut through song. The film breathes new life into ancient knowledge and shares it with future generations.
Indigenous Police / Koftepolitiet
Egil Pedersen, NO, 2021, 12 min
Three Sami men travel to Oslo. One of them wears a gákti, a Sami national costume, to attract Norwegian women. Another of them considers this practice immoral, and the third is bitter that he does not attract women when he wears a gákti.
Snowfall / Snowfall / Muohtačalmmit
Hans Pieski, Arttu Nieminen, FI, 2022, 10 min
A dystopian vision of how Sami will breathe in the future amidst political conflicts over energy and minerals. This surreal video piece explores the immense power of water and its importance to humanity.
Unborn Biru / Unborn Biru
Inga Elin Marakatt, NO, 2023, 18 min
Sundance: Best Short Film Nomination
A pregnant widow steals silver from a corpse to survive and give birth to her daughter. But the silver is cursed with consequences for everyone, including the unborn.