The Cuckoo

I was fascinated by the representation of the Sami people & lifestyle in The Cuckoo as I had never seen or heard much about the indigenous people of Scandinavia. While I enjoyed the film overall, all the things that inspired me were to do with the Sami. The yurt/cabin construction that Anni lived in as well as the reindeer and fish pens she kept were such a different representation of life in the Soviet Union. I always enjoy being reminded that there are simpler ways of living as we often become so accustomed to our lives that we forget. The other aspect of the film that was intruiging was the bringing back of the dead where Anni rythmically beat a drum and howled into the ear of Veikko to call him back to the world of the living. The sequence also depicts the afterworld as a rocky abyss where a young blond boy tries to lead Veikko further down the terrain. The scene was long and slow yet it created a tension and anticipation that is often missing in high drama depictions of life and death. The otherwordly depiction of the afterlife as well as the shaymanistic rituals of Anni made for an interesting interlude in the film and also showed an important part of Sumi culture.

+ Sofia Jannok - a Sami singer who incorporates traditional folk singing {yoik} into her music
+ Info and slideshow on Sami culture in Sweden
+ Virtual tour through Sampi