'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Stolen, Netflix's latest Swedish drama arrived on the platform on April 12, 2024. The movie focuses on the problems faced by the indigenous Sámi community in the current times.
Adapted from Ann-Helén Laestadius' 2021 novel by the same name, the movie is Elle Márjá Eira's first attempt at direction. While the book was awarded Sweden's Book of the Year, writer Laestadius became one of the executive producers for the movie.
Stolen is positioned to bring the plight of the Sami people into focus as climate change issues are forcing them away from their traditional livelihood of reindeer herding.
Meanwhile, hate against the closed community pushes them to the brink of survival. The issues discussed in the movie have a contemporary relevance from both environmental and socio-political perspectives.
Disclaimer: This article may contain spoilers and suggests reader's discretion.
Filming locations of Netflix's Stolen
As Stolen tells the story of the Sámi people, the movie involves Sámi actors and the Scandinavian regions of Sweden and Norway, particularly the Sápmi region. Some of the areas where the movie was filmed are listed here.
Vittangi, Norrbotten, Sweden
An area that covers the Sámi origin and reindeer herds, Norbotten is a snow-covered area that's on the border of Northern Sweden, North-Western Finland and close to Norway. It's next to Lapland area of Finland.
Vittangi is a small municipal locality in Norbotten. It's also the home to many reindeer herds that keeps the background real.
Övre Soppero, Norbotten, Sweden
Just like Vittangi, Övre Soppero is another smaller locality of Norbotten County of Sweden. The location adds to the authenticity of the setting for the story. The regions that inhabit the Sámi are referred to as the Sápmi region.
The Swedish Icehotels in subzero conditions were employed for days of shooting as the crew stayed in the location.
Kautokeino, Finnmark, Norway
A part of the filming was also done in the Kautokeino area of Norway. The area is towards the north of the Lapland area. The stretches of snow-covered land and extreme climate with bright sun make it another demanding shooting location, particularly for the ariel shots.
Kautokeino is a popular location boasting of other movies such as Pathfinder. The place has reindeer herding as the main industry.
What is Stolen about?
The plot of Stolen focuses on the Sápmi region that spreads across Norway, Sweden and Finland.
The indigenous community of the area herd reindeer for a living. While the Sámi try to continue to live their lives the traditional way, the killing of reindeer by outsiders brings hints of larger changes yet to come.
The story follows Elsa, a Sámi girl who goes to a Swedish-language school while following their indigenous culture and language at home. When she witnesses the killing of a reindeer, she's threatened with silence by poachers.
When informed, the police don't take the complaint seriously but register the deaths of the animals as thefts. However, Elsa believes that these are hate crimes against her community instead of simple poaching. Disappointed by the authorities, years later, she gets in touch with the press and challenges the killers, risking her own life.
The story reveals the issues of xenophobia as both the author and lead actor believe. In the story, the antagonist Isaksson is seen complaining about the Sámi community receiving subsidies from the government while the others have to work their way up. Some racial slurs have been employed in the usage to interpret the hatred.
Who makes up the main cast of Stolen?
The makers of Stolen thought it fitting to have original Sámi actors for the roles to give a touch of genuineness to the acting.
As such, many of the characters are played by local Sámi actors. Elin Kristina Oskal plays the protagonist, Elsa, Lars-Ánte Wasara plays Elsa's brother, Mattias, and Martin Wallström plays the chief antagonist, Robert Isaksson.
Some of the other actors are Magnus Kuhumunen as Elsa's father, Nils Johan, Niila Omma as Elsa's love interest, Niila Heatta and Inger Gunhild "Inghilda" Maria Tapio as Elsa's grandmother. Ida Labba Persson and Pavva Pittja play Elsa's friends.
Stolen: Snippets of information
The production for the movie started in 2023 and Netflix released the first look in February 2024. The first teaser was released on March 19, 2024, followed by another on April 5, 2024, before its global release on the platform on April 12.
Director Elle posted filming photos from the locations on her social media handle. She belongs to Norway's Kautokeino area and comes from a family with a background in reindeer herding. It explains the effort the crew has taken to produce the movie in its exact setting.
Watch Stolen, currently available for streaming on Netflix.
