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Director Amanda Kernell is tackling the complex theme of forgiveness in her latest film “Brace Your Heart,” which premiered at TIFF and the San Sebastián Film Festival. The filmmaker, known for her previous work “Sámi Blood,” explores how forgiveness becomes essential in communities where survival depends on maintaining close bonds. She questions whether individuals can truly move past trauma while remaining dependent on those who caused it, presenting a central tension in her narrative.
The film follows Ejva, a young woman who inherits her late father’s reindeer herd and must rely on help from community members, including a romantic interest. Kernell drew inspiration from the real struggles within Sámi reindeer herding communities, where life-threatening conditions and social isolation create unique psychological pressures. The director emphasizes that her story reflects genuine challenges she witnesses firsthand, rather than fictional constructs.
Kernell credits the film’s title to a traditional Sámi saying that prepares young herders for hardship by encouraging emotional resilience. However, her protagonist resists this hardening process, instead seeking connection and healing through confrontation and honest dialogue. The director brings cinematic authenticity to the reindeer herding profession—depicted as one of Sweden’s deadliest occupations—by filming actual herders on mountainous terrain rather than relying on special effects.
Beyond its Sámi focus, the film examines universal anxieties about identity and self-worth tied to professional ability. Kernell’s personal experience with a severe concussion during her previous film deepened her understanding of how loss of work capacity threatens one’s sense of self.
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Originally reported by Variety →
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