RAP AND
REINDEER
"I hope this encourages others to express their culture."
"Maybe in the end I'll become a reindeer herder, who knows. It's not cast in stone that I won't become one."
The documentary Rap and Reindeer follows the life of 18-year-old Sámi rapper Mihkku Laiti, who lives in the northernmost corner of Sámiland. The film is a coming-of-age story, following Mihkku on his journey towards a career as a musician and rise to stardom in the midst of varying expectations. He’s charmed the crowd at Talent Finland competition and proudly wears the traditional Sámi costume he has styled himself. He raps and yoiks in harmony, designs his own brand on his computer but also masters the skill of laborious reindeer herding. Above all, he sees his own unique roots and the Sámi language as his greatest strength. The future makes him wonder: to follow his father’s footsteps or to reach for his dreams.
Director's word
There are some documentaries about the Sámi, but very few directed to younger viewers – or from the point of view of the Rap and Reindeer.
Just some decades ago young Sámi weren’t allowed to speak their own native language at school. It was forbidden. Little by little Sámi people started to be ashamed of their own mother tongue. That’s why only 2000 of 10000 Sámi, who nowadays live in Finland, can speak their native language.
Fortunately the attitude has started to change. Today the younger Sámi generation is proud of its culture and language. But as everywhere, also among Sámi the youth wants to renew the culture: make an own version of it.
Mihkku’s story is tied to the future of Sámi culture: it can prevail if it can renew and continue to meet the needs of people. The same applies to the language sustaining the culture. Rap and Reindeer offers a new, fresh look at Sámi culture as experienced and told by a young Sámi himself: a rapper who creates his art by using his native language.
Rap and Reindeer gives a voice to younger Sámi generations, who are proud to wear self-tailored Sámi costumes, rap and chant in perfect harmony and design their brands on a computer, but who also master the demanding tasks of reindeer husbandry. And above all, who see their own special roots as a great strength.
POSTERS
INFO
RAP AND REINDEER
A documentary film. Duration 73 minutes. Premiere 31.1.2023.
Original Title: Revontulten räppäri
Original Language: Northern Sámi, Finnish
Subtitles: English, Swedish, Finnish, Northern Sámi
DIRECTOR Petteri Saario
SCREENWRITERS Petteri Saario, Matti Näränen
CINEMATOGRAPHERS Antti Saario, Petteri Saario
EDITOR Matti Näränen
SOUND DESIGNER Joonatan Hietanen
COMPOSERS Markku Kanerva, Mihkku Laiti
IMPACT PRODUCER Sari Orkomies
PRODUCERS Petteri Saario & Tiina Saario/ DocArt
FUNDING Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK, Yle, Church Media Foundation
FESTIVALS
DocPoint 2023
Tampere Film Festival 2023
DOMESTIC MOVIE THEATRE DISTRIBUTION
Peter Toiviainen
CONTACTS
Tiina Saario/ DocArt
Petteri Saario/ DocArt
Sari Orkomies/ DocArt (Press Photos)
Director's Biography
Petteri Saario is a Finnish documentary filmmaker, specialized in directing and shooting films about disappearing natural and cultural values and the complex relationship between man and nature. He runs an independent production company DocArt. His films have been awarded and screened at numerous festivals around the world, including IDFA, Prix Europa, Krakow Film Festival, Moscow Film Festival and Japan Wildlife Film Festival. His latest feature length documentaries are Maiden of the Lake (2019) and Activist (2017).