Amanda Kernell's third feature "Brace Your Heart" follows a young woman navigating survival rather than victimhood. The film will premiere at the Toronto and San Sebastián film festivals, with international sales handled by Trust Nordisk.
The story centers on Ejva, who inherits her father's reindeer herd following his death and must mature quickly with help from the local leader Heaika. Her life becomes further complicated when she develops feelings for Heaika's cousin, who does not approve of the relationship.
Kernell, known for "Sámi Blood" and "Charter," also wrote the script. She told Variety that she was "more interested in liberation than a curse," having initially conceived the project as "The Curse: A Love Story" before winning the top award at the Co-Production Market at Haugesund's New Nordic Films industry sidebar in 2023.
The film is produced by Eva Åkergren for Nordisk Film Production and co-produced by Forest People, Compass Films, Invictus, Nordisk Film Production Denmark, Filmpool Nord, SVT, and Film i Väst. Elli Sara Valkeapää plays Ejva, alongside Andte Gaup-Juuso and Vincent Niia.
Kernell said the casting of Valkeapää, who was 18 at the time, required her to rework the film because the actress speaks a different Sámi language than the director. Kernell noted that the title phrase is traditionally told to young Sámi reindeer herders as guidance for endurance, and that the film examines how people survive trauma and loss, though such hardening "is not the path to love."
