2026/02/01 by Madis Arukask · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · Psychology · #Oral History, Memory, Narrative Analysis #European Linguistics and Anthropology #Memory, Trauma, and Commemoration
paper · pdf · doi:10.54013/kk818a5
openalex publication_date 2026/02/01 · openalex created_date 2026/02/19 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
This article examines films made about the Vepsians. From the second half of the 20th century onwards, the Vepsians have been filmed primarily for documentary purposes by (Soviet) Russian, Estonian and Finnish researchers, journalists and other interested parties. These productions include both documentary films and journalistic television formats. Since the 21st century, the Vepsians themselves have also begun to produce films addressing their ethnography and history. The visual representation of one’s own culture constitutes a form of ethnic self-reflection. Films made by Vepsians encompass both recollections and reconstructions of a traditional ethnographic way of life, as well as portrayals of acts directed against the people in recent history – such as repression and demographic assimilation – within the Soviet Union. In addition to documentaries, one amateur feature film has been produced, dealing with the theme of flight from collectivization. Taken together, these films provide a space for reflecting on history and national identity. At the same time, presenting the concerns of a small ethnic group to a wider audience remains problematic: even in visual media, compromises are often required in response to mainstream taste, widespread lack of background knowledge and the resulting simplifications, as well as the limited resources available for achieving a professional end result.