Sami Blood
A Sámi teenager fights to escape institutional racism by passing as Swedish, discovering that social mobility demands a devastating reckoning with belonging.
Overview
A young Sámi girl faces the harsh realities of identity and prejudice in her quest for acceptance.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- austere
- harrowing
- reflective viewing
- historical cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a powerful, beautifully photographed historical coming-of-age drama that confronts anti-Sámi racism through an intimate performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Elle Marja changes her name, rejects Sámi customs, and tries to pass as Swedish after experiencing institutional racism.
Anthropologists subject Sámi children to racialized examination and phrenological scrutiny.
Elle Marja seeks schooling and a future in Swedish society while remaining tied to her family and reindeer-herding community.
Lapland’s ancestral grounds and reindeer camp are set against the remote boarding school and urban Swedish life.
Films like Sami Blood, and why
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
shared coming of age drama, indigenous identity, institutional prejudice, and historical realism
Rabbit-Proof Fence
shared historical drama, cultural erasure, colonial racism, and intimate character focus
Whale Rider
shared indigenous coming of age, family rupture, cultural identity, and lyrical rural landscapes
The Innocents
shared Nordic historical drama, social marginalization, austere atmosphere, and young female resistance
Movie Details
- Director
- Amanda Kernell
- Release Date
- 2017-03-03
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (147)
Cast
- Lene Cecilia Sparrok
- Mia Sparrok
- Maj-Doris Rimpi
- Julius Fleischanderl
- Olle Sarri
- Hanna Alström
- Malin Crépin
- Andreas Kundler
- Ylva Gustafsson
- Hanna Asp
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Viaplay Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Sami Blood about?
- A Sámi teenager fights to escape institutional racism by passing as Swedish, discovering that social mobility demands a devastating reckoning with belonging.
- What is Sami Blood like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Sami Blood as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Sami Blood violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Sami Blood as mild.
- What did critics think of Sami Blood?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a powerful, beautifully photographed historical coming-of-age drama that confronts anti-Sámi racism through an intimate performance.
- Which films are like Sami Blood?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Rabbit-Proof Fence, Whale Rider, and The Innocents.
- How long is Sami Blood?
- Sami Blood runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch Sami Blood?
- In United States, Sami Blood streams on Viaplay Amazon Channel.
