THE STORY – When Ejva inherits her late father’s reindeer herd, mounting expectations push her toward accepting the romantic advances of Heaika, a powerful local leader whose courtship gradually gives way to mistreatment. Falling unexpectedly for his cousin Nejla offers the possibility of another life, but it’s one that threatens Ejva’s future and her place with her people and the land that has always defined her. What begins as a personal story gradually reveals itself to be something more expansive, as questions of autonomy and tradition become inseparable from the realities of life in northernmost Europe.
THE CAST – Elli Sara Valkeapää, Andte Gaup-Juuso, Vincent Niia, Risten Alida Siri Skum, Siri Marakatt, Arild Skaltje & Nils Peder A Gaup
THE TEAM – Amanda Kernell (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 97 Minutes
With each film she makes, Amanda Kernell further establishes herself as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Nordic and independent cinema. The Swedish filmmaker caught international attention for her celebrated coming-of-age debut film “Sámi Blood” in 2016, before her feature “Charter,” which debuted at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Throughout her career, Kernell’s films have continued to dive into examinations of Sámi culture and identity, as well as family, assimilation, and the idea of belonging. With her third and latest feature “Brace Your Heart,” Kernell returns to Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland) for another in-depth portrait of the Sámi people, and how the region’s politics, tradition, land, and community are intrinsically woven together.
“Brace Your Heart” turns its attention to 20-year-old Ejva, played by Elli Sara Valkeapää, who finds out she’s inherited the herd of reindeer once owned by her late father. Initially, Ejva sees this as an honorable opportunity to continue her family’s legacy, but it doesn’t take long for her eyes to be opened to the deeply patriarchal traditions that she’s left to navigate and survive by herself as a young woman. In addition to everything else, Ejva’s community leader Heaika (Andte Gaup-Juuso) as well as his cousin Nejla (Vincent Niia) both begin to take romantic interest in the young girl. This forces Ejva to maneuver and manage more than just her family’s herd and legacy, as she experiences young love, trauma, and generational pain simultaneously.
After a traumatic event at the hands of Heaika leaves Ejva unable to work and care for her late father’s herd, she fears failing not only herself and her family, but her community, and ultimately falling short of the high expectations held of her. Kernell does a fantastic job at directing a narrative that feels balanced, authentic, and intimate, all while creating an intimate and brutally raw portrait of Sápmi life. She takes care not to overly romanticize Sámi life or reduce it to beautiful imagery or cultural cliches; instead, accurately painting a picture of the rough and ruthless life of Sámi reindeer herders. Demanding physical labor, cruel weather, dangerous landscapes and the looming threat of patriarchy are all factors Ejva has to navigate, and Kernell grounds the audience in this depiction enough to make “Brace Your Heart” both tangible and immersive.
“Brace Your Heart” boasts some impressive performances including Valkeapää, who is remarkable as Ejva in her first major big screen role. Her subdued and expertly controlled performance is the pulsating heart at the center of this frigid drama, and she uses silence and space to speak volumes, which happens to mirror her surroundings quite poetically. Her effective performance is not a standalone, as both Niia and Gaup-Juuso quite impressively represent different aspects of the patriarchy as Nejla and Heaika, respectively. Despite being, generally, a cast of relatively new actors, Kernell is able to help ease incredible performances out of the ensemble, which speaks volumes of the talent both in front of and behind the camera.
Sophia Olsson (“The Crown”) brings her talented eye for a shot to “Brace Your Heart” with her restrained yet magnificent cinematography. Through her lens and the aid of Kernell’s vision, she brings to life the unforgivingly stunning northern landscape without fetishising it. Olsson has a knack for honing in on faces during compelling moments while having the restraint to know when to step back and linger at the treeline. She captures Ejva in such a way that emphasises how tiny and alone she often feels against both the vast landscape as well as amongst the men who constantly surround her. Rebekka Karijord and Kristian Eidnes Andersen provide a harmonious score that further echoes the themes of identity and community around Ejva. Together, these elements give “Brace Your Heart” just enough of an immersive and palpable touch that makes the film feel like an observation, rather than an orchestration.
Though “Brace Your Heart” may be interpreted by some as slow or even emotionally distant due to Kernell’s restrained directing and the rather quiet performances, it’s clear this was the intention of the filmmaker. The sparse dialogue and observational approach is less of a fundamental weakness and much more of a deliberate choice, one that gives the film a unique temperament. Its own sensitivity and pace are just a part of its strength, which is its raw commitment to authenticity and realism. From quiet depictions of female resilience to portrayals of the struggle with cultural and personal identity while navigating the weight of legacy, grief, and change, Kernell’s third feature stands out in the herd as an impressive, deliberate film that asks its audience to sit in the quiet and observe from the treeline.
