Arctic Indigenous Filmmakers on Climate Change: First-Hand Perspectives

Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by Curator and Impact Producer Nadia Denton, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

Featuring the insights from film creatives and professionals from Sápmi, Canada and Yakutia, this episode will shine a light on the ground-breaking work of the Witness Program, a film training and mentorship programme for emerging Indigenous filmmakers from the Circumpolar Arctic that is the fruit of a collaboration between Telefilm Canada and the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund (AIFF).

Designed as a professional development opportunity that allows Arctic Indigenous filmmakers to share their authentic perspectives on how climate change is affecting their communities through their own storytelling and in their own filmic and spoken languages, the programme supported a first cohort of 6 filmmakers who produced 5 films and were mentored by 3 Indigenous long-feature film producers and filmmakers, under the guidance of Liisa Holmberg, CEO of the AIFF.

These conversations unpack the way in which these first-hand narratives convey the sense of urgency of climate change which Arctic Indigenous communities have been witnessing for decades and the ways in which their filmmaking practices can embody acts of resistance, resilience and language revitalisation.

Key to understanding these films is the notion of a worldview. The speakers, Liisa Holmberg, filmmakers Sadetło Scott and Svetlana Romanova and mentor Danis Goulet, all share their experiences of how their communities’ worldview, connection and deep relationship to the land are expressed in these and other films, which they made in a context of challenges to the land and Indigenous storytelling through the compounded effects of climate change and colonization.

Film commissioner Liisa Holmberg (she/her) is working in International Sámi Film Institute (ISFI) in Norway. Liisa Holmberg is a Sámi film maker originally from Finnish side of the Saamiland. She has worked in the film business as a producer, production manager and film consultant from the year 1994. Big part of her work as a film commissioner is working internationally with Indigenous film makers in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Sápmi and Russia to establish an Arctic Indigenous Film Fund (AIFF). Holmberg is a member of European Film Academy from the year 2018.

Sadetło Scott (she/her) is a Tłı̨chǫ Dene filmmaker, who grew up and lives in Sǫǫ̀mbak’è, Denendeh (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada). Sadetło has a B.A. in Indigenous Governance and a Certificate in Heritage and Culture from Yukon University, and Certificates in Motion Picture Production and Cinematography from Capilano University. Sadetło's work, such as “Edaxàdets'eetè” aims to educate on the importance of Indigenous language and the Indigenous experience.

Svetlana Romanova (Sakha/Even) is an artist and filmmaker born in Yakutsk, the capital city of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located south of the Arctic Circle. Her practice centers on the importance of Indigenous visual language, particularly in the Arctic regions and gravitates towards critical self historization.

Writer/director Danis Goulet’s films have screened at festivals around the world including Berlinale, Sundance, MoMA and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Her award-winning feature NIGHT RAIDERS premiered in the Panorama section at Berlinale and also screened at TIFF in 2021. For television, Danis has recently directed for the acclaimed FX series RESERVATION DOGS. She is Cree/Metis, originally from northern Saskatchewan.

The host Nadia Denton is a film industry specialist with over a decade of experience as a Curator, Impact Producer and Author. Her focus has been on cinema of the African diaspora, she specialises in Nigerian Cinema and is author of two books The Black British Filmmakers Guide to Success and The Nigerian Filmmaker’s Guide to Success: Beyond Nollywood. Nadia is also an official V&A African Heritage Tour Guide.

As a Partner of Choice, Telefilm Canada is a Crown corporation dedicated to the success of Canada’s audiovisual industry, fostering access and excellence by delivering programs that support cultural resonance and audience engagement. With a lens of equity, inclusivity and sustainability, Telefilm bolsters dynamic companies and a range of creative talent at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual coproduction treaties to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Launched in 2012, the Talent Fund raises private donations which principally support emerging talent.

AIFF is a film fund dedicated to films and filmmakers with Arctic Indigenous origins. We believe it’s vital to spread knowledge about Indigenous cultures, climate change, the environment, and land rights by the means of art. That’s why we are committed to building capacity for Arctic filmmaking. We advance filmmakers’ possibilities to produce and distribute their films by funding productions and offering training programs. Our aim is to promote high-quality film projects that enhance the cultures, languages and societies of arctic Indigenous peoples. Part of our mission is also to support cooperation among Indigenous filmmakers. We bring together the most talented filmmakers, help them to achieve the best possible production terms and encourage co-production and exchange of expertise.

The Witness Program is a professional development opportunity that allows Arctic Indigenous filmmakers to share how climate change is affecting their communities, to tell their own stories, and to meet and work with an international network of Indigenous filmmakers. This initiative aims to empower Indigenous filmmakers across the Arctic through training and workshops.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA. This episode has been developed in partnership with Telefilm Canada.