Imagine Sápmi at 36. Hamburg International Queer Film Festival

16 October 2025 at Kino 3001, Hamburg

Imagine Sápmi – Govahala Sámi
Sámi Queer Moving Images – Sámi queer ealli govat 

Imagine Sápmi is a living, ongoing archive within SAQMI – The Swedish Archive for Queer Moving Images, which collects, preserves, shows, and imagines what Sámi queerness can look and feel like in moving images. This collection aims to make Sámi queer culture, its struggles, and lives visible across time, by enabling screenings and contexts where to see and discuss the films.

The project wants to inspire and create new possibilities and encounters. Imagine Sápmi is a part of the screening project Queer Moving History, which has curated public film programs for various contexts since 2020, bringing together contemporary and older films.  

Cooperation Program:

Imagine Sápmi – Sámi Queer Moving Images

Skádja (2022, 17 min) by Eili Bråstad. Sápmi/ Norway
Language: Northern Sámi, English subtitles.

Whispers of Reindeer Milk (2023, 18 min)
by Mihkkal R Hætta and Ándaras Leonardsen
Sápmi/ Norway. Language: No Language.

Lesbisk i Kautokeino / Lesbian in Kautokeino 
(2001, 26 min) by Nils John Porsanger. Sápmi/ Norway
Language: Norweigan and Northern Sámi, English subtitles.

After the screening there will be a Q&A with the curator Anna Linder (they) from SAQMI and Katja Briesemeister (she/her), Shorts Programmer from HIQFF.

FaceBook event here.

With generous support from Swedish Arts Council.

Anwesend: Anna Linder, Kuratorin SAQMI

Kuratiert von SAQMI

IMAGINE SÁPMI ist ein lebendiges, fortlaufendes Archiv innerhalb von SAQMI – The Swedish Archive for Queer Moving Images, das sammelt, bewahrt, zeigt und sich vorstellt, wie sámische Queerness in bewegten Bildern aussehen und sich anfühlen kann:

„Das Ziel von Queer Moving History ist es zum einen, Geschichten mit einem queeren Blick zurück in die Geschichte zu erheben, zum anderen aber auch, lokale Queers, zeitgenössische Geschichten und Perspektiven sichtbarer zu machen und diese Geschichten – historisch und zeitgenössisch – einem neuen Publikum zugänglich zu machen. Das Projekt arbeitet mit einer intersektionalen Perspektive und möchte Normen, künstlerische Perspektiven auf soziale Themen (und umgekehrt) und die Bedeutung der Aufzeichnung von Geschichte für den heutigen Kampf um Menschenrechte sichtbar machen.“

Mit anschließendem Gespräch mit der Kuratorin Anna Linder!

Govahala Sámi – Sámi Queer Ealli Govat

Govahala Sámi lea ealli arkiiva, mii lea jođus. Dat lea oassi SAQMI  – The Swedish Archive for Queer Moving Images -arkiivva, mii čohkke oktii, seailluha, čájeha ja niegada makkár Sámi queervuohta sáhttá leat ja dovdot ealli govain. Dán čoakkáldaga ulbmilin lea čalmmustahttit Sámi arvedávgeolbmuid kultuvrra, rahčamušaid ja eallimiid sierra áigodagain, dahkat vejolažžan čájáhusaid ja konteavsttaid gos oaidnit ja ságastit daid temáid birra, inspireret ja ráhkadit ođđa vejolašvuođaid ja deaivvademiid. Govahala Sámi lea oassi Queer Moving History -čájáhusprošeavtta, mii lea kurateren almmolaš filbmaprográmmaid iešguđet konteavsttaide jagi 2020 rájes. Dat lea čohkken oktii sihke ođđaáigásaš ja boarrásit filmmaid.

“Queer Moving History ulbmilin lea čalmmustahttit muitalusaid main lea queer geahččanguovlu historjái ja addit daidda – historjjálaš ja ođđaáigásaš – muitalusaide vejolašvuođa olahit ođđa olbmuid. Prošeavtta barggus lea intersektionála lahkonanvuohki, mainna prošeakta sávvá dahkat oidnosii norpmaid, artisttalaš geahččanguovlluid servodatlaš áššiide (ja nuppádassii) ja man dehálaš lea čállit historjjá otnábeai rahčamušain olmmošvuoigatvuođaid ovdii.”

More about the films and the artists:

Whispers of Reindeer Milk (2023, 18 min)
by Mihkkal R Hætta and Ándaras Leonardsen

This Sámi short explores an alternative universe in Sápmi where they managed to remove the primordial knowledge from the colonists. The film is composed of open, meditative, persistent images from different landscapes in Sápmi, and is a journey to and from these lands.

Mihkkal Hætta is a Sámi filmmaker from Guovdageaidnu. Hætta wants to add a completely new genre to the ever-growing selection of Sámi films. Hætta has big ambitions; he wants to transfer the Sámi storytelling tradition to the screen and conquer the hearts of his audience through Sámi arthouse films.

Lesbisk i Kautokeino / Lesbian in Kautokeino 
(2001, 26 min) by Nils-John Porsanger

Marit is afraid to return to her hometown, Kautokeino, after feeling ostracized because of her sexual orientation. After two years, she comes back, and we follow her as she meets her Laestadian mother for the first time since she left.

Nils John Porsanger is a journalist at NRK Sapmi and has made several acclaimed films and radio programs. Lesbian in Kautokeino was widely shown all over the world at feminist and queer film festivals in the late 90s and early 2000s, and the later film about Anne Risten in the 2009 film Reindeer Princess follows up with another queer story from Sápmi.

Skádja (2022, 17 min) by Eili Bråstad

A sudden meeting between two women in the forest triggers their longings and doubts. Can they overcome their trauma? Skádja is an exploration of nature, spirituality, passion and movement – a queer tale about finding inner strength.

Eili Bråstad (she/her) is a visual artist from the arctic part of Norway, currently based in Oslo. She works with film/video, photography and live visual performance, and is often combining elements of her Sámi and Kvääni background with more experimental, subcultural aesthetics. From a queer perspective, she explores the connection between time, identity and movement. Starting out as a photographer, Bråstad also has film education, a BA in moving images and a MA in fine art. 

Imagine Sápmi – Sámi Queer Moving Images
is realised through financial support from Swedish Arts Council.