More-Than-Living

Mnemonia is a collaboration between Emilia Tikka, Oula A Valkeapää and Leena Valkeapää. The work consists of three stories that bring together humans, reindeer and the landscape in connection with the migration of reindeer.
The first story is an autobiographical short film made by reindeer herder Oula A Valkeapää, whose life is intimately connected with reindeer and their movements. However, the normal rhythm of migration has become impossible given the current context in the Finnish Arctic, which is traditionally home to the Sámi people. Some of the complex reasons include modernisation, border politics and global warming. Oula A Valkeapää’s story illustrates how the end of nomadic reindeer herding leads to the disappearance of the enduring connection between herder, reindeer and landscape.