SCA23 Let the River Flow

Synopsis

Based on true events that inspired a generation of young Norwegians, writer/director Ole Giæver’s elegant, multi award-winning drama follows a young woman who is unintentionally drawn into a protest against a dam that may flood Indigenous Sámi land.

Summer, 1979. Recently graduated, 23-year-old schoolteacher Ester (magnetic newcomer Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen) moves to the northern Norwegian town of Alta. Like many Sámi – the native people of Scandinavia – Ester is ashamed of her heritage and conceals her ethnicity to fit in.

When her cousin Mihkkal (Gard Emil), who openly embraces his roots, takes Ester to see a riverside camp where a group is demonstrating against the government’s plan to build a hydroelectricity plant, she slowly begins to understand that the conflict is about more than environmental concerns – her very identity and culture is being challenged. Knowing what is at stake, Ester is stirred to act, placing herself and her loved ones at risk.

A moving story about finding one’s voice, Let the River Flow powerfully depicts the events that led to a turning point in the fight for Sámi rights.

Awards

WINNER – FIPRESCI Prize, Audience Award, Göteborg Film Festival 2023  

WINNER – Audience Award, Tromsø International Film Festival 2023 

NOMINEE – Best Feature Film, Seattle International Film Festival 2023 

Reviews