To Örebro University

This bachelor thesis examines how the Swedish-French television series Midnight Sun portrays its Sámi characters. The series sparked a lot of debate following its airing due to some of the characterisations. Due to the history of racism that Sámis have faced and continue to face, it is important to analyse contemporary depictions in order to identify how racist preconceptions are being reproduced. The study aims to problematise the connotations of colonialist discourse and processes of othering and mystification that the Sámi characters are subjected to, while also examining whether the depictions play into established Sámi stereotypes.

Based in previous research of indigenous representations in dominant media and the theories of postcolonialism and Encoding/Decoding, the study employs a critical discourse analysis to examine the discursive messages that are embedded in the characterisations. As source material for the analysis, the series Midnight Sun was used in its entirety. Character traits, actions and narrative arcs of the Sámi characters provide the analysis’ foundation, which are then situated in historical and contemporary Sámi struggles and a postcolonial framework in order to discuss how the viewer is led to understand the character as a result of decoding. The study shows that the characterisations have clearly subverted the traditional stereotypical images associated with Sámis. Furthermore, the series explicitly depicts the racism that Sámis face in their everyday lives. The series serves as a reflection that the discussion and

understanding of Sámi life and culture is changing. However, despite the series’ conscious attempts to nuance the Sámi image, it ultimately falls into a number of discursive pitfalls. Several Sámi characters are othered, depicted as social deviants or mystical remnants of a lost culture. Implicit binary structures of “us” and “them” can also be inferred in the traits of the Sámi and non-Sámi characters. The series echoes colonial discourses in which the dominant society is presented as a more sophisticated counterpart. This study, in conjunction with the ongoing shift in public perception, can hopefully lead to further study of Sámi representations and their discursive nature.