Ellos Eatnu - La Elva Leve

At home, her Norwegian stepfather suppresses any trace of the Sámi roots in the family. Through her cousin, Ester becomes acquainted with environmental activists who oppose the Alta dam project, which would flood entire areas where Sámi live. The activists took the protest to Oslo and forced a temporary halt to the construction work with a hunger strike. At the end of the disputes, which lasted from 1968 to 1982, the dam was built. But the Sámi's self-image was sustainably strengthened, the entire public was sensitized, and as a result it became possible to win numerous rights, to participate in political decisions and to help shape social processes. The film traces Ester's process of becoming aware of her identity as a Sámi - an emotionally stirring process with, obviously, many parallels to Sorbian experiences in Lusatia. The majority of the actors involved are Sámi themselves.