‘Brace Your Heart’ Review: Tradition and Modernity Collide in an Impassioned Ode to Sámi Womanhood

For those of us who only ever think about reindeer when December draws in, and even then in a fairly abstract sense, “Brace Your Heart” arrives as a flinty reality check. Following the life and trials of a young female reindeer herder in the present day, it’s stripped of any fairytale essence, and doesn’t stint on the grueling physical and economic challenges of the profession, even before the ugly actuality of being a woman in this male-dominated realm is made clear. The third feature from Swedish writer-director Amanda Kernell follows on from her 2016 debut “Sámi Blood” in spotlighting the experience of the indigenous Sámi community in northernmost Europe, to which Kernell herself belongs; where that film was a period piece, powerfully examining Sweden’s colonial oppression of her people, the filmmaker’s latest is a testament to the resilience of Sámi identity (and womanhood, in particular) in the 21st century.

After premiering in Toronto’s Oscar-qualifying Platform program — where it received a special mention from the jury — “Brace Your Heart” had its European premiere in the main competition at San Sebastian: a festival one-two that indicates the film’s fairly broad arthouse appeal, despite its remote and little-known milieu. After “Sámi Blood” and Kernell’s 2020 sophomore feature “Charter” achieved solid international distribution, this rousing, accessible new work should follow suit — though given its youthful focus, specialist streaming may connect the film with its optimal audience.

Much like “Sámi Blood,” which rested heavily on the charisma of novice actress and Sámi reindeer herder Lene Cecilia Sparrok, “Brace Your Heart” unearths a raw new talent in Elli Sara Valkeapää, also a herder, who handles an emotionally demanding role with impressive subtlety and stoicism. She plays Ejva, the 20-year-old daughter of a reindeer herder who’s suddenly thrust into her father’s shoes following his untimely death. Handed the literal reins to the family business, she’s forced to adapt fast to a tough line of work that takes an extreme toll on the body and mind — and that’s without such calamities as her snowmobile falling through thin ice into the freezing waters below. Kernell and DP Sophia Olsson shoot that heart-in-mouth setpiece with a kind of detached calm, as if to stress it’s just another bad day at the office.

Though Ejva is strong and capable and has the proud support of her family, she’s still overwhelmed by the demands of going it alone — and so she strategically seeks an ally in Heaika (Andte Gaup-Juuso), a jockish local herding bigwig who has also been putting the moves on her romantically. Following her head more than her heart, she humors those too, despite being considerably more attracted to his gentler cousin Nejla (Vincent Niia), the man who rescued her from the aforementioned ice plunge. Framing this story of female agency and leadership as a conventional love triangle initially seems an oddly old-fashioned choice — though when Heaika’s behavior takes a startlingly toxic turn, “Brace Your Heart” expands into a study of contrasting schools of Sámi masculinity. And when Ejva turns to the conveniences of modern, urban life, she wonders if the effort of maintaining her familial and cultural legacy is worth it.

If Kernell’s screenplay can feel a bit schematic in its funneling of wider social issues into the small, hard story of one individual, “Brace Your Heart” is otherwise played with pleasing, powerful restraint — beginning with Valkeapää’s quietly expressive performance of a naturally taciturn character. Often shot in tight closeups that expose the harsh impact of the climate on her features, she’s frequently given the luxury of time to think on screen, particularly when weighing up crucial decisions on which the future and reputation of her entire family may depend.

Kernell herself is a patiently observant filmmaker: Olsson’s camera isn’t blind to the pale, spectacular sweep of the surroundings, but takes a pragmatic, quasi-documentary approach to the action at hand. A hint of ethereal whimsy, albeit still couched in cultural authenticity, is provided by the breathy a capella swoops and stutters of Rebekka Karijord and Kristian Eidnes Andersen’s score. Shot with a largely non-professional cast in the extraordinary, unyielding landscape of the Sápmi region, “Brace Your Heart” offers a detailed window into the Sámi way of life, even outside the strictures of the script.