The Sámi people are Indigenous people living in North Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia. What does it mean to be a Sámi filmmaker? How the ongoing colonial reality affects Sámi storytelling and artistic freedom?
Suvi West is a multiple awarded and critically acclaimed Sámi storyteller and filmmaker. She has made several films and other works about Sámi reality, colonialism, assimilation as well as comedy. West works many times with themes of decolonialism and healing. In her work she is actively trying to decolonize storytelling practices even if working in a Western film industry.
In the statement she talks about asking permission –practice, seeking of spiritual guidance for storytelling and about how respect sometimes means not to tell the story at all. She also talks about her own professional journey and the struggle balancing between what she, as an artist, wants and what the Sámi community as well as the western community expects from Indigenous Sámi filmmaker.