Yoiking life

Last night I watched a Swedish film called Sami Blood.

The film is set in Sweden in the 1930s and tells the story of a 14-year-old Sami girl by the name of Elle-Marja. Sami are indigenous Laplander's who live in the northern parts of Scandinavia. I don't want to go into detail describing the film but I recommend watching it. 

Despite how uncomfortable I felt watching this film there was one aspect that brought great joy. Watching the girls Yoiking (or Joiking). Toiling is a form of singing that comes from deep within the spirit of the person, it can have words but not necessarily, its an expression of feeling and connection to another entity, person, place, animal, that is part of the Sami culture and deeply connects their identity and their relationship with the world around them. This is something I found really special and comforting. 

Lately I have been experiencing a lot of very powerful emotions, feelings of empathy and also pain. Personal pain from a sense of loss and brokenness but also relating to the loss of others. It's a bit of an ongoing battle I am having at the moment. Not something a man would willingly admit to but, why not? 

I recently received news of two suicides, I did not know the people but am affected by the frequency of suicide within my circle of friends and extended network. Lately I have been grieving close friends who I've recently lost and it seems the deaths just keep stacking up. Although this film was not about suicide, the cruelty of people and sense of alienation was overpowering for me. The strength of the lead female character moved me also. 

Suicide was not a theme but the pressures that often lead to that course of action were obvious. There were scenes in the film I just could not watch as I was trembling with rage and anguish. In one scene anthropologists were conducting eugenic studies and taking measurements of children's body dimensions that just left me wanting to howl.

I have no idea how this film will affect others. It's an interesting story with a very powerful  performance by Lene Cecilia Sparrok a Southern Sami actress from Norway who had me spellbound for the entire time.

I can't explain my sensitivity to these things at the moment, maybe I'm just thin skinned. Maybe I have not recovered from my own malady. I hope that I can come away from this with greater understanding and compassion for my fellow humans. In reality I am fluctuating between singing the great praises of God the universe and everything one minute and the next I just want to call it a day.