For the second year in a row a selection of shorts from TIFF’s Films from the North program is to be screened in Russian cinemas. Films from the North is TIFF’s program for shorts and documentaries from the circumpolar region (Northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia and Canada). From 18 to 28 of April Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Petrozavodsk and St. Petersburg will get to see films made in the Arctic region of Norway.
Portrays northern identity
This year the films are connected through themes concerning Sami culture and identity. Stein Bjørn has directed “Biekka Fábmu” (“Wind Power”), a documentary about the Riddu Riddu festival in Kåfjord. He is also involved as an actor in “Celebrating Mom”, directed by Per-Ivar Jensen. The film spotlights Sami-Norwegian identity conflicts in a family. Bjørn will be present at all the screenings, presenting the films. The third film is Emil Trier’s music video “I Came Here”, to a song by the artist Torgny. The film is a beautiful and artistic portrait of youth culture in Kautokeino, Finnmark.
- I’m looking forward to seeing the reactions on these films from the Russian audience. Russia also has an ongoing debate relating to the native people in the northern regions, so we have a lot in common, says Bjørn in a press release.
Culture connecting people
The tour is supported by BarentsKult, the Norwegian Barents Secretariat’s culture grant program. The program is initiated to promote larger border crossing culture and art-projects in the Norwegian and Russian part of the Barents Region
- Norway and Russia are close neighbours, and through film we get the opportunity to get to know each other better. We did a similar tour in 2012, and the feedback from the Russian audience was very positive, says TIFF’s Project Manager Igor Shaytanov.
The films will be showed in the following places: April 18. Kronverk Cinema, Murmansk; April 20. Modern, Arkhangelsk; April 26 Kalevala, Petrozavodsk; April 28 Spb Documentary Film Studio, St. Petersburg.
See trailer for the tour on YouTube: http://youtu.be/ig6HCrvRHnY
