#21: THE TUNDRA WITHIN ME - Authenticity in Sámi Stories with Sara Margrethe Oskal

In Episode #21 of film.macht.kritisch., I speak with Sámi artist
Sara Margrethe Oskal about authenticity, indigenous storytelling,
and the making of her debut feature Eallogierdu – THE TUNDRA
WITHIN ME (2023) .


SHORT BIO Sara Margrethe Oskal is a Sámi filmmaker, author,
performer, actor, and joiker from Guovdageaidnu (Kautokeino),
Norway. She worked for ten years as a reindeer herder on the
Sápmi tundra before turning to theatre, performing arts, and
cinema, and later earned a PhD in Performing Arts at the Oslo
National Academy of Arts. Her debut feature Eallogierdu – THE
TUNDRA WITHIN ME premiered at the Toronto International Film
Festival in 2023 and won the TILDA Award for Best Film by a
Female Director at the Braunschweig International Film Festival
in 2024. Sara currently stars in the TV series Heajastallan – A
Sámi Wedding (2026, NRK) and in the opera Ovllá at the Oulu
Sinfonia (Finland). She is developing her next feature, A House
in the Arctic.


Eallogierdu – THE TUNDRA WITHIN ME In her debut feature film,
Sara Margrethe Oskal explores Sámi identity, intergenerational
dynamics, and the delicate balance between tradition and
modernity. The story follows Lena, a Sámi artist who has lived
for many years in Oslo and returns to her hometown in the Sápmi
tundra. She navigates family, gender roles, community, and
personal choices, and through her romantic relationship with the
reindeer herder Máhtte, both discover a new sense of belonging
and connection to their roots. 


The artworks attributed to Lena are created by Sámi artist Máret
Ánne Sara, whose pieces appear throughout the film, enriching its
visual and cultural landscape.


 


CAST & CREW




Director / Writer: Sara Margrethe Oskal




Cinematography: Anders Hoft




Editor: Anna Løvlund




Sound: Håkon Lammetun




Producer: Mona Johanne Hoel




Production Company: Freedom From Fear




Distributor: MoreThan Films




Cast: Risten Anine Gaup, Nils Ailu Kemi, Elias Ánte Pilutaq
Gaup Lennert, Berit Anne O. Kemi




EPISODE #21 THEMES


Authenticity and honesty in filmmaking and indigenous
storytelling

Sámi culture, joik, and its role in music, memory, and
resistance

Gender, generational change, and community dynamics

Emotional and metaphorical storytelling in THE TUNDRA WITHIN
ME

Contemporary challenges in Sámi life

Representation of Sámi culture in film, theatre, and
television



LINKS


Follow Sara Margrethe Oskal on Instagram

Watch the official trailer for The Tundra Within Me

Braunschweig International Film Festival 2024 – Highlights

Heajastallan – A Sámi Wedding (TV series) on IMDb 

Ovllá – Sámi opera at Oulu Sinfonia, Finland