Indigenous Television for the Majority: Analyzing NRK Sápmi’s Muitte Mu (Remember Me)

This article asks, “How can indigenous media fulfill its obligations toward the indigenous population while also connecting with the majority?” In the entertainment television series Muitte mu, produced by the indigenous public service broadcaster NRK Sápmi in Norway, famous Norwegian artists learn to joik, a Sámi form of music. Muitte mu triggered a discussion concerning cultural appropriation and commercialization, as well as the traditionalist versus pragmatic and interethnic views of indigenous cultural expressions. One of NRK Sápmi’s goals is to share content about the Sámi, and, in a market-oriented media environment, the series uses Sámi iconography and celebrities to fulfill this goal. However, this approach does not necessarily resonate with its main obligation, which is to provide programming for the Sámi people. What is at stake in these debates are the credibility, relevance, and legitimacy of NRK Sápmi, all of which depend upon the recognition of the Sámi themselves

How should the non-Indigenous speak? A discussion of decolonizing academia, positioning, and freedom of speech

How can we engage in Indigenous research that allows multiple perspectives and knowledge production that is open to epistemic diversity? Answering calls for decolonization of the academy and the need for researchers to do their homework, I use my position as an ‘inbetweener’ in a Sámi, Indigenous context, experiences with peer reviewers as gatekeepers, and theoretical and methodological discussions about Indigenous research, to reflect upon this question. The review processes are seldomly discussed, although reviewers have the power to decide whether research gets published or not. Questions remain on how research should be carried out and who can speak, especially in a Sámi-Norwegian context where Indigenous identity and being Sámi or not by no means are easy questions, due to colonialism and Norwegianization processes. There is confusion regarding how to do research, and what positioning means. I argue that Indigenous methodology raises a dilemma because it one the one hand offers criticism of previous western, ‘dirty’ research, urging non-Indigenous researchers to involve and ‘do their homework’, while simultaneously emphasizing that research should be done by and for Indigenous peoples, with their worldviews as a starting point. Discussions on positionality show that the outsider/insider dichotomy is problematic and that for some scholars, being Indigenous is a precondition for doing valid and important research. Non-Indigenous researchers may be associated with a colonial sin, or shame. Being morally inferior, I argue, makes it difficult for the researcher both to involve, and to have critical approaches. Doing homework should involve being able, and allowed, to engage with Indigenous peoples and societies and go beyond the colonial gaze coloured by the us/them, and victim/sinner dichotomies. Secondly, I also call upon universities, that are now institutionalizing Indigenous perspectives, to take responsibility and offer support to the individual researchers in their struggle to ‘do things right’

Dealing with racism: Colonial history and colonization of the mind in the autoethnographic and Indigenous film Sami Blood

This article explores how Sami Blood (2016), as an Indigenous film, addresses colonialism and its consequences. Sami Blood documents historical injustice, shame and how colonialism is internalized by the colonized, and mechanisms of systemic and individual racism. Based on analyses of the film, reviews and perspectives on colonialism and cinema, it is argued that Sami Blood contributes to reconciliation processes in contemporary society because it addresses past events and colonial practices from a Sámi perspective. Sami Blood is the first feature film to use the Indigenous South Sámi language, and the first with a female director, Amanda Kernell

Voices from the Peripheries: A Study of the Regional Film and Television Business in Norway

This thesis is a study of how regional film and television companies in Norway manage to survive and achieve their goals in the context of a larger film and television business that is centralised, economically fragile, and subsidy dependent. Interest in production studies has boomed in recent years, but little of this research addresses regional film and television companies. This thesis employs a production studies approach and incorporates theory on place and work on the creative industries. It contributes to the limited amount of research that accounts for both structural framework—in particular, the impact of film policy and dependence on public funding on these companies— and agency in terms of the intrinsic value of regional film and television production in a local, national and global context. Using multiple perspectives, this thesis presents an in-depth exploration of the advantages and disadvantages of being a regional film and television company. The case study is its principal methodological approach, including interviews with film workers at four companies and employees at six regional film agencies, as well as policy documents, websites, newspapers and productions. The thesis focuses on four well-established regional film and television companies that have produced critically acclaimed films. All are located outside Oslo, the hub of film production in Norway. The four companies are Original Film in Tromsø, Northern Norway, Flimmer Film in Bergen, Western Norway, Mer Film in Tromsø/Bergen, Northern/Western Norway, and Filmbin in Lillehammer, central Eastern Norway. This thesis argues that one of the greatest challenges to these regional companies (and the government that supports them) is how to develop strong, sustainable regional film milieus among a scattered populace like Norway’s. The regions suffer from low production volume and brain drain and the research shows that these companies rely on human resources to deal with this challenge. Policy development indicates that the public funding of regional film is mostly based on regional and economic, but also cultural, arguments—regional film, that is, should contribute to regional development, economic growth and diversity. I argue that the economic and rural political rationale for support of this business tends to undermine the cultivation of the cultural value of regional film, as well as its quality and professionalism. However, the companies have managed to produce critically acclaimed films and the thesis reveals how the peripheral location can be a creative and economic advantage

Regional screen ecosystems at the peripheries: Production and talent development in Tromsø and Aarhus

This article addresses the regionalisation of screen culture in Norway and Denmark, focusing on how regional screen entities in Tromsø and Aarhus are working to professionalise production and talent development at the peripheries of both countries. We outline their distinctive characteristics and circumstances as regional hubs and delineate the key actors that constitute the respective screen ecosystems. We analyse the interplay between regional film policy, production, and talent development in relation to regional development, geography, creativity, innovation, and the economy of culture. Based on an analysis of policies, strategy documents, and interviews conducted with practitioners in Aarhus and Tromsø over the period 2014–2019, we explore the diverse strategies that these regional production hubs employ to develop and—more challengingly—retain talents in the region, and argue that despite the increased attention given to ‘diversity’ in film policy, structural and cultural obstacles remain in the way of sustainable growth

Creative Clusters – Urban Utopia or Regional Remedy?

The creative industries have had a major impact on cultural policy, and it is often argued that these industries can be a vehicle for regional growth. Using regional film production in Norway as a case, I discuss the creative industries, the cluster concept and its impact on policy. I analyse two film policy documents from 2007 and 2015 in order to show how the issue of size and critical mass is an unsettled topic within the creative industries, and I question the relevance of film as an economic and regional development tool in a country with a small film industry, such as Norway. This article shows that the creative industries concept, adopted from international discourses, especially creative industries policies in the UK, has influenced Norwegian film policy, reducing the importance of cultural objectives and increased the focus on the business potential and economic aspects of culture

Voices from the Peripheries: A Study of the Regional Film and Television Business in Norway

This thesis is a study of how regional film and television companies in Norway manage to survive and achieve their goals in the context of a larger film and television business that is centralised, economically fragile, and subsidy dependent. Interest in production studies has boomed in recent years, but little of this research addresses regional film and television companies. This thesis employs a production studies approach and incorporates theory on place and work on the creative industries. It contributes to the limited amount of research that accounts for both structural framework—in particular, the impact of film policy and dependence on public funding on these companies— and agency in terms of the intrinsic value of regional film and television production in a local, national and global context. Using multiple perspectives, this thesis presents an in-depth exploration of the advantages and disadvantages of being a regional film and television company. The case study is its principal methodological approach, including interviews with film workers at four companies and employees at six regional film agencies, as well as policy documents, websites, newspapers and productions. The thesis focuses on four well-established regional film and television companies that have produced critically acclaimed films. All are located outside Oslo, the hub of film production in Norway. The four companies are Original Film in Tromsø, Northern Norway, Flimmer Film in Bergen, Western Norway, Mer Film in Tromsø/Bergen, Northern/Western Norway, and Filmbin in Lillehammer, central Eastern Norway. This thesis argues that one of the greatest challenges to these regional companies (and the government that supports them) is how to develop strong, sustainable regional film milieus among a scattered populace like Norway’s. The regions suffer from low production volume and brain drain and the research shows that these companies rely on human resources to deal with this challenge. Policy development indicates that the public funding of regional film is mostly based on regional and economic, but also cultural, arguments—regional film, that is, should contribute to regional development, economic growth and diversity. I argue that the economic and rural political rationale for support of this business tends to undermine the cultivation of the cultural value of regional film, as well as its quality and professionalism. However, the companies have managed to produce critically acclaimed films and the thesis reveals how the peripheral location can be a creative and economic advantage

‘Call the Norwegian embassy!’: The Alta conflict, Indigenous narrative and political change in the activist films The Taking of Sámiland and Let the River Live

In the 1970s, Norway had not officially acknowledged their Indigenous population, the Sámi. In the following decade, two activist films, Let the River Live (Greve 1980) and The Taking of Sámiland (Eriksen and Tannvik 1984), focused on the Alta conflict ‐ protests against the construction of a power plant in Sámi territory ‐ Indigenous rights and colonial processes. Inspired by discussions concerning documentary, activism and decolonialism, this article investigates how the films frame Sámi interests and challenge perceptions of the Norwegian state. Because both films are collaborations across ethnic boundaries, they also challenge the supposed insider/outsider perspective of Sámi and Indigenous film, offering decolonial narratives by centring on Indigenous voices and experiences, confronting the idea of Norway as homogenous and representing the state as a colonial oppressor. They represent a political turning point that has changed politics, film production and collective memory

Creative Clusters – Urban Utopia or Regional Remedy? A Nordic perspective on the role of the creative industries in regional development

The creative industries have had a major impact on cultural policy, and it is often argued that these industries can be a vehicle for regional growth. Using regional film production in Norway as a case, I discuss the creative industries, the cluster concept and its impact on policy. I analyse two film policy documents from 2007 and 2015 in order to show how the issue of size and critical mass is an unsettled topic within the creative industries, and I question the relevance of film as an economic and regional development tool in a country with a small film industry, such as Norway. This article shows that the creative industries concept, adopted from international discourses, especially creative industries policies in the UK, has influenced Norwegian film policy, reducing the importance of cultural objectives and increased the focus on the business potential and economic aspects of culture

‘Northern, not Nordic noir’: A Norwegian case study on crime series and strategies for transnational television

© Sand, Vordal (2021). The definitive, peer reviewed and edited version of this article is published in Journal of Scandinavian Cinema. 2021;11(2):157-176, https://doi.org/10.1386/jsca_00045_1.This article discusses transnational television and what strategies public service broadcaster NRK Drama has pursued to make the Norwegian crime series Monster: Brutally Far North travel. Monster was the first Norwegian-language television series bought by a major American cable network, Starz. Using the concept of production values, we argue that NRK has made a series that is able to ride the Nordic noir wave of success while also offering a new northern Norwegian version of the western. These two factors made Monster a good fit for the American market. The series is a result of strategic changes within NRK Drama and a commitment to the private and regional film business. Furthermore, NRK views drama productions as key for reaching audiences and has increased their budgets significantly. The analysis encompasses the industry context, media articles, the ‘North’ as location, the series itself and interviews with important stakeholders