Indigenous peoples are not a museum. The best films about modern aborigines are demonstrated on “Arctic Open”

A film director from Yamal Anastasia Lapsui is participating in the first International film festival of the Arctic countries “Arctic Open”. It is taking place in Archangelsk.

The event was started with the discussion “Problems of indigenous ethnic minorities of the Arctic”. Film directors, culture scientists, political scientists, historians and an American anthropologist discussed prospects of use of modern social and technical innovations by indigenous peoples. As Anastasia Lapsui notes, indigenous peoples should pay attention to education, and innovations will help them. She tells about Nenets people, who speak Nenets language – 35 thousand people. Indigenous peoples are not a museum. They develop together with the whole world and use all technical innovations. On all levels, big and small, innovations for peoples should be secured with education, as the film director from Yamal notes. The contest program includes the best examples of modern cinematography of the Arctic countries and indigenous ethnic minorities of the North, as the press-service of the film festival informs. In particular, the short-list includes the film “Svyato (“Puha”, what means “Sacred”) by the film directors Anastasia Lapsui and Markku Lehmuskallio (Finland). In their documentary film the authors set 5 questions, if land, mother, human, church, power are sacred. The first international film festival of the Arctic countries “Arctic Open” is called to unite cinematographers of countries of the Arctic basin, to acquaint audience with prominent achievements of cinematographers from 8 arctic countries – owners of rich cinematographic culture. The event includes creative workshops, panel discussions on issues of cultural uniting of arctic states with participation of recognized figures of Russian and foreign cinematography.