The Forbidden Songs (GL)

Where: Norðurstova
Duration: 1 hour

How does a cultural tradition survive after once being banned?
The Forbidden Songs, Episode 1 is a performative documentary film that explores Greenland’s rich tradition of drum dancing and drum singing — practices that for centuries have carried social, spiritual, and artistic communities.

Through personal stories, ethnographic research, and archival material, the film traces the tradition’s historical development: from its deep roots in pre-colonial Inuit societies, through the suppression and bans of the colonial era, to today’s revival and revitalization.

Today, drum dancing still plays a vital role in Inuit identity — not just as cultural heritage, but as a living expression of resilience, belonging, and artistic renewal.

The film sheds light on an endangered tradition and underscores the importance of preserving cultural identity.

The Forbidden Songs is a sensory film experience that blends documentary storytelling with performative practice, inviting audiences into a space where history, body, and sound are woven together into a new narrative.

The film is presented in Greenlandic with English subtitles.

After the screening, filmmaker and drum dancer Varna Marianne Nielsen will participate in a conversation about the significance of the tradition in Greenland today.

Varna Marianne Nielsen is a Greenlandic music producer, filmmaker, and traditional practitioner of drum dancing and drum singing. She works to preserve, promote, and revitalize this endangered heritage and has collaborated with UNESCO to secure its inclusion on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2021.

As a multidisciplinary artist, Varna embraces a powerful connection between ancient traditions and modernity. In both her films and music, she bridges historical knowledge and practice with contemporary art forms, transcending her stories to reach a broader audience. She is the artistic director of Qilaat.org, a research center for traditional drum dance and drum song.