Indigenous Peoples’ Film Festival Copenhagen

Torsdag d. 2. OKTOBER kl. 18:30

ÅBNINGSFILM: ORSUGIAK – GRØNLANDS HVIDE GULD

EN
‘Orsugiak – Greenland’s White Gold’ is a Danish-Kalaallit(Greenlandic) documentary film that investigates the forgotten story of Danish cryolite extraction in Ivittuut, southern Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland). The film seeks to uncover new and critical aspects of the meaning of colonial expropriation and the (de)generation of wealth in the Danish-Greenlandic relation. While cryolite sales generated a large turn-over in Denmark and funded central Danish institutions and daughter companies, the local Inuit community in Kalaallit Nunaat suffered various consequences as a result of having a Danish mine in their ancestral territory. The documentary film, directed by Otto Rosing and Claus Pilehave, questions the dominant narrative of Danish colonial economic benevolence and challenges the widely accepted public view that Kalaallit Nunaat has benefitted from its relation to Denmark – and not vice versa.

‘Orsugiak’ opens the Indigenous Peoples’ Film Festival CPH on October 2, where the film’s director Otto Rosing, the film’s co-star Naja Dyrendom Graugaard and Lars Lerche from The Greenlandic House will begin the screening with a conversation about the film’s context. We conclude the conversation with a Q&A. Both the conversation and the Q&A will be in Danish.
After the screening, there will be a reception and music by DJ Aviaja in the foyer.

GL
Kalaallit nunaat qallunaat nunaannut aningaasartuutaajuaannarsimava? Naalagaaffeqatigiinnerup iluani, kalaallit nunaata qallunaallu nunaata akornanni aningaasaqarnermut tunngasut ”Orsugiak – Grønlands hvide guld”-imi sukumiisumik qallorneqarput – ilaatigut tupaallannartunik paasisaqarfiusunik. Kujataani orsugiamik piiaaffik najoqqutaralugu kalaallit nunaanni nunap ataaniit aningaasat pilersinneqarsimasut aningaaserisunut soorlu C.F. Tietgen-imut kiisalu qallunaat naalagaaffianut ingerlaarsimaneri takuneqarsinnaapput. Orsugiamik piiaaviup pilersinneqarnera oqaluttuassartaalu takussavagut kiisalu orsugiaq atorlugu sorsunnersuup aappaani qanoq ililluni timmisartunut 200.000-inut aluminiummi atugassaq pilersinneqarsimanersoq.

Oktoberip aappaani ”Orsugiak”  Indigenious People’s Film Festival-imik ammaalluni takutinneqassaaq, immiunneqarnerani ilitsersuisoq Otto Rosing, isiginnaagassiami peqataasoq Naja Dyrendom Graugaard kiisalu kalaallit illuutaaniit Lars Lerche isiginnaagassiap aallartinnginnerani oqallinnermik ammaasuussallutik. Isiginnaagassiap kingorna katerittoqassaaq inersuarmilu DJ Aviaja appisimaartinneqarumaarpoq.

FREDAG d. 3. OKTOBER kl. 17:00

BIRTH OF LIGHT + !AITSA

EN
BIRTH OF LIGHT, Jasmijn Schrofer, Kenya, 2024, 23 min.
In 2020, both electricity and mobile internet were introduced in the remote desert community of Illaut in northern Kenya. This was a transformative change for a tribe that lived according to the Samburu way, a traditional way of life and culture going back many generations. To capture the impact of this transformation, documentary filmmaker Jasmijn Schrofer travelled to the village and for several years documented the villagers’ struggle to embrace modernity, while at the same time preserving their nomadic cultural heritage.

!AITSA, Dane Dodds, South Africa, 2023, 89 min.
Bringing together ancient spiritual knowledge and cutting-edge science, !AITSA is a transcendental film about humans in the Great Karoo desert of South Africa seeking meaning in the infinite darkness surrounding us all. !AITSA explores the ancient spiritual knowledge and modern science in the Great Karoo desert of South Africa. From the Square Kilometre Array to the Blombos cave, voices ranging from scientists to local clergy and spiritual leaders are heard in this expansive film about existential questions and the many paths towards answers that will always remain slightly out of reach.

FREDAG d. 3. OKTOBER kl. 19:30

WILFRED BUCK + talk w/ AMBASSADOR CAROLYN BENNETT

EN
Moving between earth and stars, past and present, this hybrid feature documentary follows the extraordinary life of Wilfred Buck, a charismatic and irreverent Indigenous elder who overcame a harrowing history of displacement, racism, and addiction by reclaiming ancestral star knowledge and ceremony.

After the screening, we invite you to join us for an exciting conversation between Lars Lerche from the Greenland House and Carolyn Bennett, Canada’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark. They will discuss the truth and reconciliation process for indigenous peoples in Canada. The conversation will be in English and will last approximately 30 minutes.

GL
WILFRED BUCK + AALLARTITAQ CAROLYN BENNETT OQALOQATIGALUGU

Piviusulikkersaarummi assigiinngiiaartumi Wilfred Buckip immikkuullarissumik angalanera nuna ullorissallu, qanga ullumikkullu aqqusaarlugit malinnaavigineqarpoq. Wilfred inuuvoq maluginngitsoorneqarsinnaanngittoq nunap inoqqaavinit Cree-nit kingoqqisoq ataqqinnissuseqanngitsoq uissuumminartumik nunagisamiit peerniarneqarnermik, ammit qalipaataa toqqammavigalugu immikkoorsinneqarnermik, atornerluinermik pinngitsuuisinnaajunnaarnermillu aniguisimasoq siulimi ullorissanut periutsinullu ilisimariigaannik atuileqqinnikkut qaangiisimasoq.

Takusassiap kingorna oqaloqatigiinnermut pissanganartumut peqatiserivatsigit Kalaallit illuutaanniit Lars Lerchep Carolyn Bennett Canadamiit Qallunaat naalagaaffianni aallartitaq oqaloqatigissavaa. Canadami nunap inoqqaavinut tunngatillugu pisimasunik ataatsimoorussamik toqqammaviliiniarnermi saammaasseqatigiinnissamullu suliniarneq eqqartussavaat, ilanngullugu qallunaat nunaata Canadallu nunap inoqqaavinut tunngatillugu iliuuserisartagaasa assigiinngissusaat assigiissusaallu kiisalu ilumut piffissaq nalliussimanersoq kalaallit qallunaallu saammaasseqatigiinnissaannut, pisimasut ataatsimoorussamik qiviarnerisigut. Oqaloqatigiinneq tuluttut ingerlanneqassaaq akunnerullu affaata missaani sivisussuseqassalluni.

FREDAG D. 3. OKTOBER kl. 22:00

UÝRA – THE RISING FOREST

EN
Uýra, a trans indigenous artist, travels through the Amazon on a journey of self-discovery using performance art to teach Indigenous youth that they are the guardians of ancestral messages of the Amazon forest.

In the country that kills trans, indigenous and environmentalist youth the most in the world, Uýra is the body that Brazil insists on killing. As a trans-artist-indigenous-educator, her existence and resistance has been a source of inspiration and unity, fostering a revolution in the arts, education, the LGBTQIA+ scene and environmental causes in the heart of the Amazon Forest.

The film’s plot focuses on the metaphor inspired by ecological succession to tell the processes of social struggles. In three acts we follow the destruction of the soil and violence to life, the subsequent emergence of pioneer species, young, that germinate quickly to rebuild the soil and make way for the new generation of forest that will come, stronger.

LØRDAG d. 4. OKTOBER kl. 12:30

IWGIA SHORT FILMS + talk w/ IWGIA

EN
IWGIA (International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs) works to promote and defend Indigenous Peoples’ rights around the world.

IWGIA’s partners around the world are not just organisations – they are courageous individuals fighting for their rights on a daily basis.

We are very proud to present, in this short film program, some of these Indigenous People – from Thailand, Malaysia, Tanzania, Bolivia and Nepal.

AGUA PARA LA VIDA, Fernando Cola, Bolivia, 2025, 25 min.
This documentary offers insights into the determined struggle of the Ayllu San Agustín de Puñaca, an Indigenous community of the Oruro region of Bolivia, whose ancestral lands at the shores of the dried-out Lake Poopo face irreversible loss and damage due to climate change and industrial pollution. This lake, once the second largest of Bolivia, has been the provider of life, biodiversity and local ecosystems since ancestral times. Yet due to the anthropogenic climate crisis, glaciers have melted away and no longer offer water to the lake, and mining activities have diversified and polluted remaining water sources. For decades, all living beings in the area have faced the detrimental impacts on waters, soil, air, and health due to constant exposure to heavy metals.

WHERE THE TREES GROW, Helle Løvstø Severinsen, Malaysia/Thailand, 2024, 33 min.
’Where the Trees Grow’ is about Indigenous Peoples’ fight for their rights to land. The film portraits Indigenous Peoples in Thailand and Malaysia (Sabah) and show how their cultures are dependent on the rich and biodiverse nature. The film also shows how they are threatened by dams and oil palm plantations.

INDIGENOUS WOMEN’S FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE, Rajneesh Bhandari, Tanzania/Nepal, 2024, 24 min.
This film dives into the Indigenous women’s movement, their achievements and the struggles they face in Kenya and Nepal and was done in collaboration with Samburu Women Trust, Nepal Indigenous Women Federation and Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact.

LØRDAG D. 4. OKTOBER kl. 15:00

NIMER

EN
Nimer—meaning “family” in the Even language—explores resilience, tradition, and the enduring bonds of family amidst the challenges of a nomadic life in today’s world. This documentary offers an intimate glimpse into one family’s journey as they strive to preserve their ancestral heritage while adapting to modern demands. Through the mother’s dedication to balancing tradition with education, as she teaches her children along their seasonal migrations, Nimer highlights the perseverance of nomadic cultures and sparks conversations about the importance of cultural preservation in a rapidly changing world.

For this screening, we will have a short special video greeting from the director Aina Vinokurova. Aina Vinokurova is a Sakha filmmaker based in Vancouver, who brings Indigenous stories to life, challenges stereotypes and explores identity through cinema.

LØRDAG d. 4. OKTOBER kl. 17:00

THE TERRITORY + TALK (Free SCREENING)

EN
The film focuses on the Uru-eu-wau-wau, an Amazonian tribe only contacted by the Brazilian government in 1980. Originally numbering in the thousands, the tribe is presented as just 200 strong at the film’s outset. Bitaté Uru-eu-wau-wau is introduced as an 18-year-old who, despite his youth, is selected as leader of Uru-eu-wau-wau in order to coordinate their protection in the face of encroaching settlers who deploy slash-and-burn tactics to establish frontier settlements. Neidinha Bandeira, an environmental and human rights activist, is the other central cast member, working tirelessly to protect Uru-eu-wau-wau land and present their story to journalists and politicians. White seizure of Indigenous land is presented as a quasi-legal movement, tacitly encouraged after the election of reactionary populist Jair Bolsonaro.

This is a free screening.

LØRDAG D. 4. OKTOBER kl. 19:30

ESKIMO DIVA + TALK W/ NUKA BISGAARD

EN
Nuka represents, in many ways, modern Greenland and its subcultures. Nuka is transgender and resembles a Japanese pop star. Due to her leading the fight to promote an LGBT+ agenda, break down taboos, and create change in Greenland, she faces resistance from traditionalists. “Eskimo Diva” is a story about a young woman’s struggle to be who she is.

After the screening, you can meet Nuka for a conversation with Lars Lerche from the Greenlandic House about the victories and defeats she has experienced. The film celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and we focus on the change she has created as a torchbearer for LGBT+, and how she passes the torch to younger generations.

A lot has happened in the 10 years since the movie premiered. Therefore, it is important to emphasize that the film represents Nuka’s previous life and that today she is a woman living a ‘normal’ life with a husband, a house, and a dog, and according to her own statement, she is ‘thoroughly enjoying her life in the province’.

We will conclude the discussion with a Q&A, which will be in Danish

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ESKIMO DIVA + NUKA CARMEN BISGAARD OQALOQATIGALUCU
Arlalitsigut Nukap Kalaallit nunaat muteerniusoq pissutsillu matumani atuuttut ilisaritippai. Nuka transseksueliuvoq japanimiusullu nipilersortartutut tusaamasatut isikkoqarluni. LGBT+-imi oqaluuserisassanik saarlersaalluni sorsuuteqarnermini paqumigineqarsinnaasunik qaqilerinermigut kalaallillu nunaanni pissutsinik allannguerusunnermini ileqqutoqqanik pingaartitsisunit akerlilerneqartarpoq. “Eskimo Diva” angutip inuusuttup kinaassutsiminik sorsuutiginninneranik oqaluttuartuuvoq.

Takusassiap kingorna Nukap ajugaasarsimaneri ajorsartarsimanerilu paasisaqarfigisinnaavatit Kalaallit Illuutaani Københavnimi sulisoq Lars Lerche oqaloqatigilerpagu. Ukioq manna takusassiaq ukiunik qulinik pisoqaatigilersimavoq matumanilu LGBT+-imiit sassartutut allannguut pilersissimasaa tulliuttunullu ingerlateqqikkusutaa isiginiassavagut. Oqaloqatigiinneq apeqqutigineqakkajuttunik naggasissavarput.

Inuusuttoq suiaaqatiminoortartoq arnatut pikisartoq nuummeersoq kammalaatiginerpaasaalu Lu, Dj torralluinnartoq qarasaasiaq atorlugu nipilersortartoq, arnatut pikisartutut piffinni avinngarusimasuni takutitsisajaarlutikangalaarput.

Takusassiap kingorna Lars Lerche-p inuttaasoq pingaarneq Nuka Carmen Bisgaard filmi kiisalu Kalaallit nunaanni LGBT+ pillugit oqaloqatigissavaa.

LØRDAG d. 4. OKTOBER kl. 21:30

ARCTIC SHORT FILMS

EN
FOR OUR RIGHTS, Johannes Vang, Norway, 2025, 28 min.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the wind power plant located in a Sámi reindeer grazing area violates the rights of the Sámi people; however, the wind turbines remain in place. In response, young Sámi activists are protesting through civil disobedience to compel the government to take action and protect the rights and identity of the Sámi community.

IN MY HAND, Marja Helander and Liselotte Wajstedt, Norway/Finland/Sweden, 2025, 24 min.
In My Hand is the story of the indigenous activist Niillas Somby, which explores the personal and historical struggles of the Sámi people. The film navigates between imprisonment, protests, and surreal encounters, providing a unique insight into one man’s extraordinary journey.

POLAR, Alexander Ohrt and Natalia Anna Ciepiel, Greenland, 2018, 34 min.
It is evening at the harbour in Nuuk. Ivik and his friends are spray-painting graffiti when they are suddenly struck by a strange and unpleasant sound. The boys commit suicide, but after being declared dead, Ivik’s heart inexplicably starts beating again. With uncertainty about what happened to him that night, Ivik now has partial hearing loss, and faces everyday life in isolation. At the same time, the nature around Nuuk begins to behave differently.

SØNDAG D. 5. OKTOBER kl. 12:30

ANGRY INUK

EN
Seal meat is a staple food for Inuit, and many of the pelts are sold to offset the extraordinary cost of hunting. Inuit are spread across extensive lands and waters, and their tiny population is faced with a disproportionate responsibility for protecting the environment. They are pushing for a sustainable way to take part in the global economy, but in opposition stands an army of well-funded activists and well-meaning celebrities.

Arnaquq-Baril and her cameras travel through the Canadian Arctic, giving voice to the people the animal activists rarely bother to meet: the hunters, the craftspeople, the families for whom the seal hunt is a critical part of their livelihood and survival. She follows a group of students to Europe, where they plead the Inuit case before a European Union panel.

The film interweaves the reality of Inuit life with the story of their challenge to both the anti-sealing industry and those nations that mine resources on Inuit lands while simultaneously destroying the main sustainable economy available to the people who live there. As one student said, “We need to stop the cultural prejudice that is imposed on us by not being allowed to benefit from our natural surroundings without having to drill into the ground. And that’s really all we want as a people.

SØNDAG d. 5. OKTOBER kl. 16:30

QUEER SHORT FILMS

EN
MARUNGKA TJALATJUNU, Matthew Thorne & Derik Lynch, Australia, 2022, 23 min.
Marungka tjalatjunu (Dipped in black) follows Yankunytjatjara man Derik Lynch’s road trip back to Country for spiritual healing, as memories from his childhood return. A journey from the oppression of white city life in Adelaide, back home to his remote Anangu Community (Aputula) to perform on sacred Inma ground.Inma is a traditional form of storytelling using the visual, verbal, and physical. It is how Anangu Tjukurpa (story connected to country / dreaming / myth / lore) have been passed down for over 60,000+ years from generation to generation.

MUXES, Ivan Olita, Mexico, 2023, 10 min.
A piece that documents the far reaches of the southern state of Oaxaca where, in the indigenous communities around the town of Juchitán, the world is not divided simply into males and females. The local Zapotec people have made room for a third category, which they call “muxes” – people assigned male at birth who live in a socially sanctioned limbo between the two genders.

AIKANE, Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, USA, 2023, 14 min.
A valiant island warrior, wounded in battle against foreign invaders, falls into a mysterious underwater world. Everything changes when the octopus who rescues him transforms into a handsome young man.

THE ROGERS, Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson, USA, 2022, 16 min.
An intimate glimpse of the first visible group of transgender men in the Pacific Islands – the Rogers of Samoa. From the loneliness of family rejection and homelessness to the camaraderie of church, cooking, and dance, their stories reveal the challenges and possibilities of life in an island society rooted in culture and tradition.

SØNDAG D. 5. OKTOBER kl. 14:30

FORZED STERILIZATION + TALK W/ ELISA CHRISTIANSEN

EN
During Alberto Fujimori’s government (Peru: 1996 – 2000) around 300,000 men and women were sterilized as part of a reproductive health programme. Most of these were Indigenous Peoples and were not given a choice. We combine this screening with a talk with Elisa Christiansen who is a co-plaintiff in the court case towards the Danish government regarding the contraceptive scandal (IUD case) taking place in Greenland and handled by Danish doctors.

In connection with the screening of the Peruvian documentary Forced sterilizations: A path to justice (and BBC’s Greenland’s lost generation), Lars Lerche from The Greenlandic House has a talk with Elisa Christiansen about the IUD campaign. Unfortunately, the IUD campaign is not unique, but a universal problem for previously colonized peoples and Indigenous Peoples.

Elisa Christensen is one of the 143 Greenlandic women who have sued the Danish state in the IUD case. Elisa was born in Greenland as the daughter of a Greenlandic mother and a Danish father. She is one of the women who last week received an official apology from Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen because she was forced to have an IUD when she was just 13 years old, while living with her foster family in Denmark.

Although it is a harsh and difficult story to share, it hurts more to remain silent according to Elisa.

“I was only 13 years old. I didn’t understand it – why should we be treated that way? Why should I be treated that way?”

Before the screening you can meet Elisa and hear her story.

EN
In the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, thousands of people are unlawfully invading protected lands, devastating centuries-old forests for resources and fast profits. Now as the health of the entire Amazon teeters at the edge, will Brazil and the world take notice? Indigenous forest guardian Marçal Guajajara and Indigenous leader Puyr Tembé stand at the frontlines of this fight, risking their lives to protect their ancestral lands from relentless invasions and deforestation. On the other side–Valdir, an illegal logger, is trapped in a desperate struggle to make ends meet and sees no other way than continuing to cut down the forest.

SØNDAG d. 5. OKTOBER kl. 20:00

AINU: INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF JAPAN

EN
Four Ainu elders tell the story of how Ainu people were forced to assimilate and hide all aspects of their Ainu identity. Now, thanks to their efforts, Ainu cultural traditions are thriving today. Viewers can see the Ainu collecting tree bark for clothes, rituals for natural deities, and songs and dances from hundreds of years ago. On top of carrying on Ainu traditions, they also do community outreach by visiting schools and teaching students traditional farming methods. This is one of the only films in existence that captures modern-day Ainu life.