Dette er vår kropp. Foto: Kristian Skylstad
Harstad Kino, screen 1
Film premiere with introduction by artist Hanan Benammar.
Dette er vår kropp (This is our Body) is a collective performance focusing on the colonial legacy of Hans Egede and marking the 300 years anniversary since Hans Egede’s arrival in Kalaallit Nunaat/Greenland (1721).
Hans Egede was born and raised in Hárstták/Harstad. He is still considered today in Norway as a man of knowledge and a fearless adventurer. One of the churches in the center of the city is built around his persona, where a statue made by Nic Schiøll is installed, while the iconic church of Trondenes Kirke holds a marble plate in his remembrance.
However, Egede’s mistreatment of indigenous people is well documented. It is said that he forbade tattooing, shamanism and throat singing among other Inuit’s traditional practices. Strangely enough, he also changed the bible verse “Give us today our daily bread” to “Give us today our daily seal”.
That the field of humanities and knowledge production which includes art and religion, but also science and education can be a "double edged sword", the beholders of enlightenment and perpetrators of destruction, and a potential platform for creating a stronger community as well as space of frictions is at the core of this project.
Can one ritualise around a conflictual heritage? How to strengthen collective awareness about our common history of violence?
The performance gathered the Kalaallit/Greenlandic electronic musician Aqqalu Berthelsen who has a longstanding practice on Kalaallit Nunaat/Greenlandic colonial history, the Inuk singer Cynthia Pitsiulak, Bel Chorus - all men choir from Hárstták/Harstad led by Dag-Erik Enoksen, the organist Maria Daniela Rasch and Hans-Henrik Egede Nissen - one of the remaining relative of Hans Egede impersonned by Hanan Benammar.
Dette er vår kropp was a commissioned work for Arctic Moving Image & Film Festival (AMIFF) 2021, Hárstták/Harstad.
Dette er vår kropp is supported by AMIFF, Kulturrådet, Fritt Ord, the Canadian Embassy, Sør-Troms Museum, Trondenes Kirke and Harstadbotn Bakeri & Konditori.