{{short description|Swedish-Sámi film director and screenwriter}} {{use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}{{Infobox person/Wikidata|fetchwikidata=ALL}}
'''Amanda Kernell''' ({{IPA|sv|ɕæˈɳɛlː|lang}};<ref>{{cite web |author=Turistbyrån Sorsele |date=12 February 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbgO1tZ0oHs |title=Amanda Kernell |website=YouTube |accessdate=11 December 2019}}</ref> born 9 September 1986) is a Swedish, Southern Sami director and screenwriter. She is best known for the movie ''Sami Blood'' (2016).
== Early life and education== Amanda Kernell was born on 9 September 1986 in Umeå.<ref name="1svenskfilmdatabas">{{cite web |title=Amanda Kernell | date=9 September 1986 |url=https://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/sv/Item/?type=person&itemid=325817 |publisher=Svensk Filmdatabas |accessdate=8 August 2019 |language=sv}}</ref> Her mother is Swedish, but through her father, she developed roots in Sami culture.<ref name="2DN.SE">{{cite news |title=Regissören Amanda Kernell om Sameblod: Okunskapen kring Sveriges koloniala historia är enorm |url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/film-tv/regissoren-amanda-kernell-om-sameblod-okunskapen-kring-sveriges-koloniala-historia-ar-enorm/ |access-date=8 August 2019 |work=Dagens Nyheter |date=5 September 2016 |language=sv}}</ref> Kernell experienced two very different cultures growing up with divorced parents with her mother being Swedish and her father being Sami. Her grandparents were nomadic reindeer herding families and only spoke Sami. They were only assimilated into the Swedish society once they went to residential schools in Sweden.<ref>{{Citation|title=Sami Blood: Amanda Kernell director - interview|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gKJ-seihro|language=en|access-date=2021-12-07}}</ref>
In her early teens, she devoted herself to acting and directing within the municipal theater.<ref name="2DN.SE"/> In the years 2009–2013, Kernell attended and graduated from the National Film School of Denmark in Copenhagen.<ref name="4nordicwomeninfilm">{{cite web |title=Amanda Kernell |url=http://www.nordicwomeninfilm.com/person/amanda-kernell/?lang=en |website=nordicwomeninfilm.com |accessdate=8 August 2019}}</ref>
Kernell studied writing for the stage and audio visual media at Biskops-Arno, where she also completed the Filpool Nord course "Screenwriting for low-budget feature films". Beginning in 2009, Kernell attended the National Film school of Denmark, being one of the six students they bring in every two years.<ref name=":2">{{Citation|title=Amanda Kernell on "Sami Blood" and Directing|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJOTbn2Q4-c|language=en|access-date=2021-12-07}}</ref>
== Career == Kernell worked as a film educator in Västerbotten County.<ref name="2DN.SE" />
In 2004 Amanda Kernell played the role of Lovisa in the short film ''Maison'', directed by Ann Holmgren.<ref name="3svenskfilmdatabas">{{cite web |title=Maison (2004) |url=http://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/sv/Item/?type=film&itemid=58943 |publisher=Svensk Filmdatabas |accessdate=8 August 2019}}</ref> The story was about a daughter who was trying to connect with her closed off mother. Amanda Kernell's filmographic career began in 2006 when she started directing shorts for the production company The Director & Fabrikorn, including ''The Holiday Sister,'' best short at the 2009 BUFF Children and Young Adult Film Festival and ''To Share Everything'' which received the 1km Film Award.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Amanda Kernell {{!}} Nordic Women in Film|url=https://www.nordicwomeninfilm.com/person/amanda-kernell/|access-date=2021-12-07|website=nordicwomeninfilm|language=sv}}</ref>
Her directorial debut film was the short film ''Our Disco'' (''Våra discon'').<ref>{{imdb title|6935254|Våra discon}}</ref>
Her short film ''Northern Great Mountain'' (''Stoerre Vaerie''),<ref>{{imdb title|4214924|Northern Great Mountain}}</ref> premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and was later incorporated into her feature film debut ''Sami Blood'', which premiered at the 2016 Venice International Film Festival.
''Charter'' is her second feature film. Kernell is scriptwriter for most of her films.
=== Style and themes === Kernell states that "In my films, I always deal with topics such as forgiveness, responsibility, and betrayal."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Amanda Kernell • Director of Charter|url=https://www.cineuropa.org/en/interview/384493/|access-date=2021-12-07|website=Cineuropa |date=30 January 2020 |language=en}}</ref> She tends to use close up shots and put a lot of the emphasis of the story on the actors. She prefers a "minimalistic form when shooting films, with camerawork that gets up close to characters and avoid overloading the movie with the decor or setting."<ref name=":1" /> Kernell believes that by doing this she will help the audience feel less lonely. Kernell loves to delve into the histories of her stories and incorporate how past events have their effects on society today. In ''Sami Blood'' she cast family members as extras because she believes it important that filmmakers tell their own stories.<ref name=":2" />
Kernell makes a point of representing her fear through the story of ''Charter.'' She explored the experience of what it would be like to be a single mother of divorce and fighting for custody over a child.<ref>{{Citation|title=Charter {{!}} Q&A with Director Amanda Kernell|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlVl9R9CWIc|language=en|access-date=2021-12-07}}</ref>
== Personal life == {{as of|2016}} Kernell was living in Copenhagen,<ref name="2DN.SE" /> where, in addition to film-making, she also teaches film directing.<ref name="4nordicwomeninfilm" />
== Filmography ==
=== Feature films === {| class="wikitable" !Year !English Title !Original Title !Notes |- !2017 |''Sami Blood'' |''Sameblod'' |<ref name="1svenskfilmdatabas" /> |- !2020 | colspan="2" |''Charter'' |<ref name=":0" /> |- !TBA |''Brace Your Heart'' |''Garrat du Váimmu'' |Post-production |}
=== Short films === * ''Våra Discon'' (''Our Disco'') (2007) * ''Spel (Game)'' (2008) * ''Sommarsystern'' (Summer Sister)(2008) * ''Att dela allt (To Share Everything)'' (2009) * ''Det kommer aldrig att gå över (It Will Never Go Over)'' (2011) * ''Paradiset'' ''(Paradise)'' (2014) * ''{{ill|Stoerre Vaerie|sv|lt=Northern Great Mountain}}'', also ''Norra Storfjället'' (2015) – a pilot and short film that forms the basis for the movie ''Sami blood''<ref name="2DN.SE" /> * ''I Will Always Love You Kingen'' (2016)
== Awards and nominations == * 2013, Uppsala short film pitch, Uppsala Film Festival<ref name=":0" /> * 2015, Best Swedish Short Film, Uppsala Film Festival<ref name=":0" /> * 2015, Audience Award: Best Swedish Short Film, Göteborg Film Festival<ref name=":0" />
For ''Sami Blood'': * 2016: Best Young Director, Venice Film Festival<ref name="6svenskfilmdatabas">{{cite web |title=Sameblod (2017) |url=http://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/sv/item/?type=film&itemid=78995#awards |publisher=Svensk Filmdatabas |accessdate=8 August 2019}}</ref> * 2016: Europa Cinemas Label for best European film, Venice Film Festival<ref name="5Sydsvenskan">{{cite news |title=Amanda Kernell dubbelt filmprisad |url=https://www.sydsvenskan.se/2016-09-10/amanda-kernell-dubbelt-filmprisad |accessdate=8 August 2019 |work=Sydsvenskan}}</ref> * 2016: Special Jury Prize, Tokyo International Film Festival<ref name=":0" /> * 2016: 2016 Toronto International Film Festival<ref name=":0" /> * 2017: Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film, Gothenburg Film Festival * 2017: Kurt Linder Scholarship from the Swedish Film Academy * 2017, Lux Prize, 74th Venice International Film Festival * 2017, Guldbagge Award for Best Screenplay * 2018: Four Golden Beetles at the Guldbagge Awards, including Best Screenplay; Best Actress (Lene Cecilia Sparrok); Best Editing (Anders Skov) and Guldbagge Audience Award for Best Film, 53rd Guldbagge Awards
For ''Charter'': *2020: Nominated for Nordic Council Film Prize * 2020: Selected as Sweden's entry for the Oscar for best international film for 2021 Oscars by the Swedish academy award committee * 2020: Nominated in seven categories at the Guldbagge Awards: best film, best director, best screenplay, best actress, best supporting actor, best cinemagraphy, and best film design
Other awards and recognition: *2018: ''Dagens Nyheter'' Culture Prize in 2018<ref name="7DN.SE">{{cite news |title="En revansch för generationer av samer" |url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/en-revansch-for-generationer-av-samer/ |access-date=8 August 2019 |work=Dagens Nyheter |date=29 January 2018 |language=sv}}</ref> *2018: Swedish UN Federation's award for human rights<ref name="8fn.se">{{cite web |title=Amanda Kernell får FN-förbundets pris för mänskliga rättigheter |url=https://fn.se/aktuellt/pressmeddelanden/amanda-kernell-far-fn-forbundets-pris-for-manskliga-rattigheter/ |website=Svenska FN-förbundet |accessdate=8 August 2019 |language=sv-SE |date=4 June 2018}}</ref> *2021: Guldbagge Award for Best Director<ref name=":0" />
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{official|https://cargocollective.com/amandakernell}} * {{imdb name|1840544}}
{{Guldbagge Award Best Director}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kernell, Amanda}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:People from Umeå Category:Southern Sámi people Category:Swedish Sámi people Category:Sámi film directors Category:Sámi screenwriters Category:Swedish film directors Category:Swedish screenwriters Category:Swedish women film directors Category:Swedish women screenwriters Category:Swedish expatriate writers in Denmark