Marja Viitahuhta & ánnámáret

Mánnu (2021)

5:25 min

Sámi, no subtitles

In Mánnu, the yoik by sami musician Ánnámáret describes how the moon can take power over the viewer, putting him in danger and a state that cannot be escaped but must be confronted. On dark nights, one can imagine the Staalo, evil spirits in the indigenous sami mythology, walking in the northern forests – or wandering in the minds of people. The words in Ánnámáret's yoik translate as: "Moon – I surrender". The video travels in both the inner worlds as well as real Sámi landscapes, envisioned from both a human and a bird’s perspective. The work continues the long-standing collaboration between Viitahuhta and Ánnámáret and the series of video works created during that collaboration.

Marja Viitahuhta (formerly Mikkonen, b. 1979) is a Helsinki-based media artist and filmmaker. Her works deconstruct individual identities, memories, or the idealised imagery of nations and landscapes. She has been awarded internationally at Cannes (Cinéfondation), Stuttgarter Filmwinter, Mediawave and L’Alternativa film festivals.