The film follows self-made enthusiast Valerio and scientist Sebastian, who can’t just stand by and watch their favourite animals go extinct. So as a last resort they have taken fish, geckos and salamanders to live in their own homes. As zoos can’t take these animals, people like Valerio and Sebastian could be the species’ only hope.

While the creatures thrive in their glass boxes, Sebastian and Valerio are in a constant hurry. Everything that in nature would happen by itself has to be simulated. By trial and error, they learn how to keep the animals alive and breeding. Their natural forests and ponds are disappearing fast, in Italy and Germany as well as in Madagascar. But Valerio and Sebastian keep fighting for these habitats, so that someday the animals could again have a chance in nature.

Driven by passion, curiosity and a sense of justice Sebastian and Valerio tackle the near impossible quest to change the fate of these animals. By observing these warriors and protectors of life, we get a glimpse of how this world also could be: a world where we value even the smallest of living things and where joy and friendship prevails.

Rapland is a documentary musical about rap music and hip hop culture in North Finland and Sápmi. The story of the genre’s evolution from the early 90s to the present day is told through the impact rap music has had on individuals and experiences of identity in the North. In the film, we follow four northern rappers – Hannibal, Lapin Akka, Yungmiqu, and Talonpoika Lalli – who share their stories and music with us. Their voices reveal different perspectives on hip hop culture in the northernmost parts of Europe.

Hip hop, born out of US urban street culture, was adapted into the unexpected setting of solemn northern villages. The contrast is compelling: In the North, a rapper’s “hood” can cover a surprisingly large area with very few people living in it. Yet the soul mate was found across the ocean. Why did a culture that originated in African American neighborhoods resonate so strongly in the North? 

The film offers global audiences a window into marginalized cultures that thrive in the periphery of North Finland and Sápmi. It reveals not only the empowering, unapologetic attitude of the genre but also gives insight into what the northern version of hip hop bling-bling is all about.