EXCLUSIVE: Obscured Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to Árru, the musical drama following a Sàmi family’s fight to protect their land from looming environmental threat.
The film from writer-director Elle Sofe Sara will get a theatrical release in early 2027 before launching on digital platforms later next year.
The film follows “a family of Sàmi reindeer herders as their way of life and Indigenous land face threat from an encroaching mining project. As protests and conflict continue, single mother Maia (Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska) turns to a long lost family member (Mikkel Gaup), giving rise to long buried family wounds and secrets.”
The feature uses traditional Sàmi song and dance “to portray familial catharsis and the connections between communities and their lands”.
Following its world premiere at Berlin, the movie went on to play Sydney and the Nordic Film Festival, and made its North American premiere at this year’s Tribeca film festival.
The project was produced by Elisa Fernanda Pirir, Mimmi Spång, Elle Sofe Sara and Jani Pösö. Executive producers include Jim Stark, Kristine Ann Skaret, Gary Cranner, and Axel Helgeland.
The deal was negotiated by Steven Bestwick of The Yellow Affair and Bill Guentzler and RJ Millard on behalf of Obscured Releasing.
The Yellow Affair has also sold Árru to international territories including Angel Distribution (Denmark), Bíó Paradís (Iceland), Filmwelt (Germany, Austria), Fivia (Ex-Yugoslavia), Otaku Mtü (Baltics), Palace (Australia / New Zealand). Theatrical distribution in Norway will be handled by Norsk Filmdistribusjon. The movie is a co-production with Garagefilm International (Sweden) and It’s Alive (Finland).
“I look forward to sharing our subtle musical family drama, Árru, with audiences in the U.S. in collaboration with Obscured Releasing,” said director Elle Sofe Sara. “With Árru, I wanted to tell a story about the resilience of women, the complexities of family bonds, and the power of finding one’s voice in the face of silence. I’m so pleased to have found a partner in Obscured who believes in the film and its journey to audiences.”
“Elle Sofe’s intimate and elegiac film showcases the passion of a family as they protect their way of life through beautiful and emotional ways,” added RJ Millard and Bill Guentzler. “Her originality of voice and storytelling are exemplified by the combination of dance, song and protest in creating something truly riveting.”
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