This story of an artist living in solitude in the wilderness of northern Sweden goes beyond showing the unique heritage of a Sami indigenous person. It captures a lifestyle that inspires a freedom we rarely get to experience anymore.
-Linda Blomqvist, Director

The Story

SOURCE OF INSPIRATION is a 14-minute documentary about Roland Pantze, a Sami artist living alone in the untouched wilderness of Lapland in northern Sweden. Remote living allows him the undisturbed space for his philosophies on life and a continuous source of inspiration for his art.

Roland: The Scandinavian landscape with its muted midwinter atmosphere, and the summer nights with their enchanting light intensify the feeling of being one with nature…

Roland represents a generation that in its time has transitioned from the ancient to the modern world; kåtor (Sami alternatives to tipis) have become houses, skis have become snowmobiles, and oral tradition the Internet. In this new world he has found his own oasis, and through him we explore the possibility to live a life in another pace and rhythm, in which convenience has been replaced with an unbroken connection with nature.

The Project

SOURCE OF INSPIRATION produced in Stockholm, Sweden, has so far has been screened from February to April ‘08 at Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle in combination with an exhibition of Roland’s paintings. As a result Nordic Heritage Museum would like to screen upcoming inOne Productions’ full-length documentary THE HIDDEN PEOPLE OF SCANDINAVIA, about the Sami people mirrored through three generations, each representing a unique time period in the progression of the Sami culture and history.

SOURCE OF INSPIRATION was also also chosen to represent Sweden in the EuroDocs festival in Los Angeles, where it opened the festival at “The Aero Theatre” of “The American Cinematheque” in Oct. ‘08. Following the screening, director Linda Blomqvist, answered questions from an audience of approximately 300, who expressed great interest in the Sami culture and upcoming feature documentary THE HIDDEN PEOPLE OF SCANDINAVIA.

The film is mainly produced in High Definition Television on NTSC and PAL for widespread public distribution such as PBS and other broadcast networks. We will also target museums and other venues that are interested in sharing Nordic culture and the societies of indigenous people. We also hope that the short film will assist in our fund-raising efforts for THE HIDDEN PEOPLE OF SCANDINAVIA.

Kirsten Olsen, Exhibitions Coordinator, Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, May 2008: The Nordic Heritage Museum was proud to have been a venue for your short film, SOURCE OF INSPIRATION. The film was premiered at the preview reception of the exhibition, Roland Pantze: Painter of Sami Life, and then ran continuously in the exhibition galleries, from February 15 through April 20, 2008. The film was an integral part of the exhibition, contributing greatly to the context of the paintings. It was very well received by visitors to the exhibition. The Nordic Heritage Museum is very interested in screening your full-length documentary when it is completed. There is great interest in Sami culture among Museum members and visitors. The film will further the Museum’s mission to share Nordic culture with people of all ages and backgrounds through educational and cultural experiences.