Stolen Review: When Speaking Out is the Only Way Forward

Set in the snowy landscapes of northern Sweden, Stolen is a 2024 drama focusing on the challenges faced by the indigenous Sami people. Directed by Elle Márjá Eira, who herself hails from the Sami community, the film offers insight into their traditions as nomadic herders.

We meet Elina Oskal’s character Elsa, who is devoted to carrying on her family’s legacy of tending reindeer. But this livelihood is under threat from worsening climatic conditions and poachers targeting the reindeer herds.

Elsa experiences tragedy from a young age when she witnesses the unlawful killing of her first calf. This sparks a determination to stand up for her people in the face of prejudices from outside groups. As more reindeer turn up dead, Elsa faces resistance from local authorities who fail to take meaningful action.

Frustrated with this lack of protection, she increasingly challenges the systems failing to safeguard the Sami’s ancestral way of life. The film tracks Elsa’s evolving activism and the personal risks she endures in the name of defending her community’s rights and environmental stewardship.

Reindeer Dreams

Little Elsa lights up as she’s allowed to pick her very first reindeer calf. She settles on a beauty with snow white fur, naming her Nastegallu. But the joy is short-lived. Elsa looks on in horror as a man swoops in on a snowmobile, dragging Nastegallu down and slitting her throat, right before the girl’s eyes. He sees Elsa watching and threatens violence if she speaks of what she’s seen.

The trauma stays locked in Elsa’s heart where it festers for years. Now a young woman, she remains devoted to her people’s ancient traditions despite the challenges they face. Life as a Sami reindeer herder grows ever more difficult with encroaching development and the changing climate. But the hardest blow comes from outsiders who ritually slaughter reindeer, trying to drive the Sami off their ancestral lands.

As Elsa tends her herd alongside her brother Mattias, they make a grisly discovery – others have fallen prey to poachers again. Tracking the marks of snowmobiles leads the siblings to the culprit, but authorities dismiss their pleas. Their people’s pleas have long gone unanswered. With each new killing, tensions rise and courage grows thin while desperation sets in.

Refusing to stand by, Elsa pushes back against those trying to erase her culture and way of life. But challenging the status quo invites danger and isolation. As threats escalate towards open violence, she stands alone as her community and even family begin to distance themselves from her fight. Facing foes with nothing to lose, Elsa must rally her steadfast spirit if there is to be a future for the next generation of Sami reindeer herders.

Elsa’s Fight for Her People

Elsa is a young reindeer herder determined to protect her people’s traditional livelihood. From a young age, she bonds with the herd and dreams of following in her father’s footsteps. But a traumatic event shakes her deeply – she witnesses the brutal slaughter of her beloved calf. Though frightened, she says nothing at the time.

Growing up, Elsa faces ongoing threats as a mysterious poacher begins illegally killing reindeer. At first, she and her brother report the incidents to police, but the authorities ignore their pleas. As more reindeer mysteriously die out on the pastures, Elsa realizes nobody else will stand up for the Sami. She resolves to fight back however she can.

Meanwhile, Robert resents the government protections for Sami lands. He takes out his frustrations by wantonly killing reindeer, trying to drive the herders off their ancestral grazing areas. Robert even threatens Elsa directly when she was a child, knowing nobody will believe a Sami girl over a respected local.

Despite facing opposition even from her own people, Elsa refuses to stay silent any longer. She demands justice for the lost reindeer in creative, attention-grabbing ways. While courageous, Elsa’s activism estranges her from family who prefer quiet diplomacy. Still, she will not back down from defending the Sami way of life.

As threats against Elsa escalate, she stands alone against powerful forces determined to erase her culture and people. Yet Elsa possesses an inner strength inspired by her deep bond with the herds and homeland. Her spirited resistance makes her an inspiring figure for all fighting injustice with bravery and heart.

Reclaiming One’s Voice

Elsa’s story shows how challenging, yet important, it is to stand up for your people in the face of ignorance and oppression. As a young Sami girl, she witnessed the slaughter of her beloved reindeer calf – a deeply traumatic event that symbolized the threats to her community’s entire way of life. Though she was silenced by fear as a child, Elsa refuses to stay quiet as an adult witnessing ongoing attacks.

As the film makes clear, the Sami have faced long-standing prejudice while safeguarding vital stewardship of their ancestral land. Their sovereignty and culture are dismissed as an inconvenience by those pursuing lucrative mine operations with disregard for environmental costs.

When reindeer mysteriously die, authorities turn a blind eye to the community’s mistreatment rather than investigate threats. Meanwhile, racism breeds contempt in some locals who resent protections for traditional livelihoods.

Despite discouragement from elders favoring diplomacy over direct challenge, Elsa recognizes compromise will not end injustice against her people. Filing repetitive complaints yields no results, so she escalates tactics; though controversial, this grabs attention that politely standing by does not. Her rising objections to mistreatment elicit backlash yet also gain allies who see she will not be silenced.

By sharing uncomfortable truths, Elsa reclaims agency over her voice and refuses the passive role others try to constrain her to. Though lonely at times in her activism, she energizes others who see her courage gives power to their own voices too. When we feel unable to enact change, lifting up voices like Elsa’s can remind us that speaking out is how movements are built and injustice is overcome.

Reflecting Nature’s Ebb and Flow

The stark white snow contrasts vibrantly with the deep greens and blues reflecting off frozen lakes and fjords. Towering pine trees stand like silent sentinels amid rolling snow-dusted hills. Harsh winds whip across bare mountain ridges as grey clouds mass on the horizon. It’s a breathtaking landscape that seems untouched by time.

This magnificent northern Swedish scenery is more than just a pretty backdrop. It becomes a living, breathing character alongside the film’s human stars. The sweeping aerial shots not only leave you in awe of the region’s grandeur but also help tell the story. Wide landscapes show the herd’s movements and remind us of the Sami people’s interconnected relationship with this land that sustains them.

Meanwhile, closer scenes bring you right into the heart of events. The immersive cinematography places you alongside Elsa as she guides the reindeer, sharing both her pride in her culture’s traditions and concerns for her animals’ welfare. Intimate family moments are framed by the surroundings, from grandparents passing down stories beside the fire to children playing amid snowdrifts.

Yet for all nature’s serenity, an underlying tension always remains. Storm clouds on the horizon mirror troubled times ahead. And the pristine white snow turns to crimson as disturbing acts shatter the peace. Through its masterful camerawork, the film shows how reindeer herding’s challenges reflect wider stresses impacting this community – and how both people and landscape are locked in a struggle for survival.

Casting the Right Actors

The authentic characters in Stolen are brought to life through skilled performances. Elin Kristina Oskal leads as the determined Elsa, drawing viewers into her fight to protect her people and their traditional way of life. Though facing opposition and threats, Oskal ensures we fully empathize with Elsa’s plight through her emotive and compelling work.

Minor roles are also imbued with depth. Lars-Ante Wasara as Elsa’s brother Mattias expresses the desperation of watching their community deteriorate, while feeling unable to escape his own issues with depression and alcoholism. Even antagonists like Robert, played chillingly by Martin Wallström, are multi-dimensional – his character rooted in resentments real enough to make him quasi-understandable if still reprehensible.

The cast as a whole delivers conflicted characters you can’t help but care about. When Elsa screams in frustration at their bleak council meeting, you feel her anger and defiance viscerally through Oskal’s raw talent. Her interaction with old friend Lasse, portrayed with melancholy by Pavva Pittja, is also arresting.

Their despair hanging heavily in the icy air, both performances resonating with a realism that amplifies Stolen’s important themes. Director Eira populates her film with actors perfectly suited to honor the Sami people’s humanity.

Courage in the Face of injustice

Elsa’s story is one of quiet determination in the face of prejudice and indifference. Living close to the land as a reindeer herder, she understands the importance of protecting her ancestral way of life and safeguarding the environment. But met with threats and violence from outsiders, and a lack of support even from her own community leaders, her path was never meant to be an easy one.

Still, Elsa refused to back down from fighting for her people and traditions. With a deep connection to the natural world and profound respect for nature’s delicate balance, she knew the stakes were too high to ignore. Though speaking out risked attracting danger and hostility, her courage inspires by proving that positive change rarely comes without troubling the waters.

For those seeking heartfelt tales of environmental advocacy or indigenous rights, Stolen delivers an impactful small-scale story with relatable characters. While its pacing may not suit all, the film nurtures thoughtful discussion on fighting injustice through peaceful yet persistent action.

Elsa’s example shows that even the most isolated voices can affect change, one hearts and mind at a time, if we speak from our principles with courage, wisdom and compassion. Ultimately her story, though local, taps into issues that concern us all.

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