On September 17, see the Homecoming (Máhccan), Suvi West and Anssi Kömi’s powerful documentary about the return of artifacts—long held in a museum—to their Sámi homeland.

Suvi West and Anssi Kömi’s latest documentary is a deeply personal pilgrimage to reclaim Sámi cultural heritage. The Sámi, Europe’s northernmost Indigenous people, endured the erosion of their sovereign and cultural rights during the 19th and 20th centuries under nation-state suppression. Graves were looted, artifacts and bones plundered and sacred drums removed from the hands of their last shamans. Set at a turning point in which museums must grapple with their colonialist history—including the National Museum of Finland, which has now returned thousands of everyday objects to the Sámi—the documentary tours museum vaults across Europe, where filmmaker West unravels layers of history, grappling with questions of representation, exploitation and the intricate tapestry of her own cultural identity.

As she takes the audience behind the scenes of the museum world, West reveals a visual, philosophical, and spiritual realm. She seeks a connection with ancestors through old museum objects, eventually arriving at the collective pain points of the Sámi people. How can the damage caused by outsiders be repaired so that collective pains can be left behind?

“This keenly observed film creates a profound statement about the legacy of colonialism as it vividly expresses the sustained soul-destroying impact on every person, particularly when they’re Indigenous” (Barbara Goslawski, POV Magazine)

This program is supported by the Monika and Charles Heimbold Fund for Exhibitions and Programs.

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