In Walls – Akinni Inuk, directors Nina Paninnguaq Skydsbjerg and Sofie Rørdam present a powerful indictment of the Greenlandic carceral system. This documentary focuses on Ruth, an inmate at the Nuuk correctional facility serving an ”indeterminate sentence” with no fixed end date. Ruth’s legal journey is marked by a tragic irony: She has spent significantly more time imprisoned for a battery charge than she did for her original manslaughter conviction.

The film thrives on the intimate bond between Ruth and co-director Paninnguaq Skydsbjerg, who spent years conversing with Ruth across the prison fence. The directing team uses a cinéma vérité style to capture their evolving lives, documenting a period where Nina became a mother and Ruth became a grandmother. Paninnguaq Skydsbjerg and Rørdam's emotional sincerity creates a rewarding exploration of human empathy amidst systemic failure.

Nina Paninnguaq Skydsbjerg (she/her) is an Inuk Greenlandic film producer and director who has worked in the creative industry since 2010. She has primarily focused on creating projects that highlight Greenlandic stories and local talents. Her directorial debut, Walls, marks an important step in her film career, where she delves into complex topics such as justice, punishment, and identity. Previously, she produced Alanngut Killinganni, which in 2023 was the first Greenlandic film to be nominated for the Nordic Council Film Prize.