Finnish Documentary Films 2009

F I N N I S H
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Contents
Feature Length Documentaries
All Boys
Arabian Shores
Earth Evocation
Generation
Helsinki, Forever
Ito – A Diary of a City Priest
Living Room of the Nation, The
Magnetic Man, The
Rebels with a Cause
Recipes for Disaster
Volga, Volga
Within Limits
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
28
Documentaries
(length between 36–60 minutes)
44500 Max
Baron Wrede af Elimä
Encounters with Jesus (working title)
Extra Turbulence
Fist of Allah, The
Girl from Shady Streets, The
God Only Suffices (working title)
Iceberg Shadow
Kainuu 08
Moments in a Journey
Refugees of Technocracy (working title)
Strange Events
Survivor
This Land Was Not My Land
Tuxedo Runners
Upscale Neighbourhood, An
Village of Dreams
32
34
36
38
40
42
44
46
48
50
52
54
56
58
60
62
64
Documentaries
(length 35 minutes or less)
Death in a Modern Day Finland
Göring’s Baton
Now and Now
World of Light
68
70
72
74
Contacts
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FINNISH DOCUMENTARY FILMS 2009
(FEATURE LENGTH)
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F I L M S
2009 | Digibeta | 16:9 |
Stereo | ~80’ / 52’
looks at the social and individual impact of the boy porn industry. It shows men in Europe’s boy porn business struggling with commerciality and the passing beauty of youth, poverty
and the loneliness of gay consumers. Gay porn is the fastest growing segment of the entertainment business. The film consists of complementing episodes that expose the production chain of
East European boy porn. Where do the porn boys come from originally, and how do they work?
It is the poor, uneducated, unemployed young men without strong family ties or social networks
who drift into the porn industry and its ‘foster care’. For some it offers survival and peers in the
porn community, at least for a while – but in many cases the quick, easy money comes at a high
cost in the long run. For consumers porn is mainly entertainment, but it may often also serve to
alleviate the same wounds, the same loneliness, as in the production side of the business. It is an
exploitation of the lonely on all sides.
All Boys
Director, script: Markku Heikkinen
Cinematography: Hannu Vitikainen
Editing: Joona Louhivuori
Sound design: Olli Huhtanen
Music: Tobias Wilner
Markku Heikkinen
Producer: Cilla Werning
Raised in Kainuu and brought to Helsinki by the
railway, Markku Heikkinen is a documentary
film maker and radio reporter. He has completed
an M.A. at the Department of Film at the University of Art and Design Helsinki. He has made
documentary films and programmes since 1993
and worked as a freelance radio reporter for the
Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE’s different
channels since 1986.
Production company: Kinotar Oy
Co-producer: Bullitt Film (DK)
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation,
DFI, NFTF
Financing TV companies:
YLE, DR (DK)
International sales: First Hand Films
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All Boys
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D O C U M E N T A R Y
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Arabian Shores
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2009 | HDV | 16:9 | 90’
A r a b i a n r a n t a
]
Arabian Shores is a film about the birth of a community in a new residential area and about people in pursuit of their dreams. Shooting for the film began in 2000 and continued until the end
of 2008. This nine-year period will give birth to a film in which Arabian Shores emerges from
an empty wasteland into a community with an identity of its own – a spirit of “us Arabians”. The
focus of the film will be on how the residents and the laws governing the birth of an urban community together lay a foundation for the future – and for man’s quest for the Good Life.
Pekka Uotila
Director, script:
Pekka Uotila, Heikki Partanen
Cinematography: Pekka Uotila
Editing: Kimmo Kohtamäki
Sound design: Heikki Partanen
Music: Mauri Sumén
Producer: Heikki Partanen
Production company:
Pekka Uotila (b. 1958) has graduated from the Department of
Film at the University of Art and Design Helsinki in 1992. He
is a film industry professional specialising in cinematography,
and works as a cinematographer and film director. Uotila has
worked as the chief cinematographer in over twenty documentary films, four fiction feature films that have been distributed
to theatres and several TV dramas of different types. He has
also directed documentary films.
Alppiharjun Elokuva Oy
8
Production support:
HT Partanen
The Finnish Film Foundation
Financing TV company: YLE TV1
HT Partanen (b. 1949) has directed 16 documentary films and
produced approximately 40.
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D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
M a a n
m u i s t i
]
Man lives and leaves traces of himself.
It is not true that we came to earth in order to live. We came to sleep, to have dreams.
Directors, script: Anastasia Lapsui,
Markku Lehmuskallio
Cinematography:
Markku Lehmuskallio
Editing: Markku Lehmuskallio,
Anastasia Lapsui
Sound design: Pekka Karjalainen
Music: Tuomas Rounakari
Producers: Markku Lehmuskallio,
Anastasia Lapsui
Production company: Giron-filmi Oy
Anastasia Lapsui
Born in the Yamal Peninsula, Western Siberia, in
1944. Has been a radio journalist in Salekhard for
26 years, working on a Nenets language program.
Has directed since 1990.
Production support:
Markku Lehmuskallio
The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK
Born in Rauma in 1938. Graduated as forest
technician in 1963. Worked in films professionally
since 1969.
Financing TV company:
YLE TV2 Documentaries
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Earth Evocation
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2009 | Digibeta | 16:9 | Mono | 90’
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2009 | 35mm | 1:1,85 |
Dolby digital | 128’
[
S u k u p o l v i
]
The film Generation is a full-length documentary about a group of children who started school on
the same day and in the same place in Helsinki in 1985. The children grow up, and the film follows them all the way from the age of seven to the age of 27. The people in this age group are the
narrators of their own story, a story about a new Finnish generation in the days dominated by a
great national recession and the new, expanding Europe which becomes their home, too.
The conflicting situations in the characters’ lives as well as the narrative conflicts in the story
bind the viewers into a common framework representing the experience of childhood and youth:
the viewers’ sympathy and emotions spring from their own childhood experiences, memories and
friends who make up a part of every human’s own story.
Directors, script, editing:
Ilkka Ruuhijärvi, Ulla Turunen
Cinematography: Ilkka Ruuhijärvi
Sound design: Ulla Turunen
Music: Rudolf Lehto
Producer: Ilkka Ruuhijärvi
Production company:
RT Documentaries Oy
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation,
AVEK, NFTF
Financing TV companies: YLE TV1,
SVT Dokumentärredaktionen
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Generation
Ilkka Ruuhijärvi and Ulla Turunen
Ilkka Ruuhijärvi (b.1963), M.A.,
Dept. of Film and TV, UIAH Helsinki.
Cinematographer, scriptwriter, director,
editor, producer.
Ulla Turunen (b.1961), M.A.,
Dept. of Film and TV, UIAH Helsinki.
Sound designer, scriptwriter, director, editor.
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[
H e l s i n k i ,
i k u i s e s t i
]
is a montage film about the city of Helsinki by the award-winning Finnish film
director and academic Peter von Bagh. The film draws a portrait of Helsinki and also acts as an
essay on Finnish culture in a wider sense. It shows Helsinki as captured by leading Finnish feature film and documentary makers over a period of one hundred years.
Helsinki, Forever
Director, script: Peter von Bagh
Editing: Petteri Evilampi
Sound design: Martti Turunen
Producer: Jouko Aaltonen
Peter von Bagh
Production company: Illume Ltd.
Film director, researcher, all-round cultural influencer, Doctor
of Political Science and film history professor, Peter von Bagh
is a grand old man of Finnish culture, who has dealt extensively
and boldly with Finnishness in his films and books. Von Bagh
has been awarded, among other things, the lifetime achievement
award of the DocPoint Documentary Film Festival in 2005 and the
Tieto-Finlandia Award, given to the year’s best non-fiction author,
in 2007. He has written extensively about film and published
dozens of titles, including a book about Aki Kaurismäki.
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation,
City of Helsinki,
Greater Helsinki Promotion,
Saison Finlandaise en France,
Finnish Cultural Foundation
Financing TV company:
YLE Co-productions
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Helsinki, Forever
Photo: Heini Lehväslaiho
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2008 | Digibeta | 4:3 |
Stereo | 74’25’’
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2008 | 35mm / HD / Digibeta |
16:9 | Dolby sr | 117’ / 85’
[
S e i t t i
–
k i l v o i t t e l i j a n
p ä i v ä k i r j a
]
is a story about Tokyo seen by a young monk, Fujioka, and a musician,
Sekisawa. It follows the people who confess to them in the late night of the city and on the tatamis
of the temple of a women’s prison.
Ito – A Diary of a City Priest
Director, editing: Pirjo Honkasalo
Script: Pirjo Honkasalo, Miika Pölkki
Cinematography: Pirjo Honkasalo
F.S.C., Marita Hällforss F.S.C.
Sound design: Joonas Jyrälä,
Miia Nevalainen, Panu Riikonen,
Kozo Hosomi
Producer: Kristiina Pervilä
Production companies:
Millennium Film, Baabeli
Financing TV companies:
NHK Japan, YLE TV2
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK
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Ito – A Diary of a City Priest
Pirjo Honkasalo
Pirjo Honkasalo (born in 1947) is an established director,
screenwriter, producer and photographer who has won countless awards for her work. She directed several films in the 1970s
and 80s with Pekka Lehto (including Da Capo, 1985). In the
1990s, she made the so-called Trilogy of the Sacred and the Evil,
consisting of the films Mysterion (1991), Tanjuska and the 7 Devils
(Tanjuska ja 7 perkelettä, 1993) and Atman (1996). In 2004 she
made the multiple award-winning The 3 Rooms of Melancholia
(Melancholian 3 huonetta).
17
o l o h u o n e
]
Director: Jukka Kärkkäinen
Script: Jukka Kärkkäinen,
Sini Liimatainen
The film is a story of changes, the inevitable passing of time, and the human desire to be needed,
visible.
The living room is the centre of the home where it’s easy to relax and to feel at ease. It paints
vivid pictures of its occupants. Granddad’s wall clock and a 1980s style sofa and armchairs in one
room and a shabby rug and a welding machine serving as a TV table in another set the stage for
everyday drama.
The main characters are ordinary Finnish people at various stages of their lives. The film
provides the viewer with a panorama of Finnish society. The individual experiences of various
people form a collage of humanity and the stages of life – they are portraits of the nation’s varied
living rooms.
Cinematography:
J-P Passi, Jani Kumpulainen
Editing: Timo Peltola
Sound design: Tuomas Klaavo
Producer: Sami Jahnukainen
Production company:
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK
Financing TV company: YLE TV2
International sales: Heino Deckert /
Deckert Distribution GmbH (Germany)
Jukka Kärkkäinen
Jukka Kärkkäinen (born 1972) has
been writing and directing documentary films since 2003. His previous
work includes Zetor – Born Free (Zetor
– vappaana syntynyt , 2005), Farewell
(Jäähyväiset, 2006) and The Smoking
Room (Tupakkahuone, 2007). He is also a
co-founder of the production company
Mouka Filmi.
Photo: Laura Vuoma
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
K a n s a k u n n a n
The Living Room of the Nation is a documentary film that portrays a number of Finnish living rooms.
Mouka Filmi Oy
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The Living Room of the Nation
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2008 | DigiBeta | 16:9 | Stereo | 75’
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F I N N I S H
Director, script: Arto Halonen
Cinematography: Hannu Vitikainen
M a g n e e t t i m i e s
]
This is the story of Pekka Streng, a Finnish singer and songwriter who died at a young age, and
the far-reaching effect his music and lyrics have had on the lives of his growing audience. The
film tells the tale of a person too frail for this world.
Pekka Streng died of cancer at the age of 26 in 1975. He released only two records and was
aware of his impending death during their production process. Streng avoided publicity, with
only one photograph of him being released during his lifetime, on the back sleeve of the record
Summerland, showing him together with his son Joonia. Streng’s songs, which combine a search
for spirituality with mystical lyrics and peculiar atmospheres, deeply affected many listeners during his lifetime and have continued to move later generations. Despite this, Streng has remained
relatively unknown in popular culture. He is an invisible prophet, the magnetic man.
The film also depicts people who have been inspired by Streng’s music and lyrics. One of them
is Arto Halonen. The film also follows the attempts of Streng’s son Joonia to realise his long-term
dream of producing his father’s third album using the unreleased recordings he left behind.
Sound design: Heikki Innanen
Music: Pekka Streng
Producer: Arto Halonen
Production company:
Art Films production AFP Oy
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation,
AVEK, ESEK/Luses
Financing TV company:
YLE TV2 Documentaries
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The Magnetic Man
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2009 | Digibeta | 16:9 | Stereo | 70’
Arto Halonen
Halonen has directed numerous films, e.g. the documentaries Shadow of the
Holy Book (Pyhän kirjan varjo, 2007), Pavlov’s Dogs (Pavlovin koirat , 2005),
Conquistadors of Cuba (Kuuban valloittajat, 2005) and The Stars’ Caravan
(Taivasta vasten, 2000). In 2005, he got the Finland Prize, the highest annual award in the arts given by the Ministry of Culture. In 1998 he received
the EU Humanitarian Award, and in 2008, the Thessaloniki Documentary
FF honoured him as one of the most important documentary makers of his
generation. He is also the founder of DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary FF.
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D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
J o s
m u l l a
o i s
v a l t a
]
A journey into the heart of democracy.
Paper giant Stora Enso has decided to close down pulp mill in Kemijärvi, but locals, from
adults to children, rise up in rebellion against an overpowering enemy. Pupils at Kallaa School
next to the factory write about their fears and hopes in two speeches addressed to the members of
Parliament and the President of Finland. The efforts of the tightly-knit community culminate in a
grand train journey to stage a demonstration in Helsinki. Are the locals’ voices heard in meetings
with the President, members of Parliament and the management of Stora Enso? Who holds power
in today’s Finland? What is the suitable role for children in the public debate which affects their
future in particular?
Antti Haase, Lasse Naukkarinen, Janne Niskala
Directors, script, cinematography:
Antti Haase, Lasse Naukkarinen,
Janne Niskala
Editing: Tuuli Kuittinen
Sound design: Heidi Puikko
Music: Ertsi Ojanen
Producer: Juha Iisak Koivisto
Production company: Unilumi Oy
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK
Financing TV company: YLE
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Rebels with a Cause
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2008 | Digibeta | 16:9 | Stereo | 75’
Haase graduated from the Australian Film, TV & Radio School in 1999 and
received the Film Australia Documentary Award for his documentary Clown
Doctors. He has written, directed, filmed and produced several award-winning
creative documentaries in Australia and Finland.
Naukkarinen (b. 1942) is a director, cinematographer and producer.
The first of the more than 30 films he has directed were political. In the 1980s
and ’90s, he made documentaries that examined society, followed by gritty
profiles and, later, artist profiles. His latest films include South Indian Thali (EteläIntian Thali , 2007) and An Upscale Neighbourhood (Arvostetulla alueella , 2009).
Niskala (b. 1976) is a cinematographer and a producer for Vaski Filmi, an
independent production company. He has worked in media since 1996. This is
his debut documentary as a director.
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F I L M S
2008 | 35mm | 16:9 |
Dolby digital 5.1 | 85’ / 63’ / 58’
Director, script: John Webster
[
K a t a s r o f i n
a i n e k s e t
]
Director John Webster convinces his wife and two small children that the whole family should
go on an oil diet, yet without having to give up their a middle class suburban lifestyle. All the
everyday things that we don’t do, or that we can’t help doing, make up recipes for disaster. In this
comedy of errors they find themselves questioning their values and putting to test their will power
and ultimately, their happiness.
Cinematography:
the Websters family, Tuomo Hutri
Editing: Niels Pagh Andersen
Sound design: Pietari Koskinen
Producer: Kristiina Pervilä
Production companies:
Millennium Film,
J. W. Documentaries Oy
Co-producer: Magic Hour Films, DK
John Webster
YLE TV2 Documentaries, Channel 4,
Canal+, CBC Newsworld, DR,
NRK, IBA Channel 1
John Webster (born in 1967) has been making
documentary films as an independent director
and producer since 1990. His work includes
the films Suckers (Pölynimurikauppiaat, 1993),
Don’t Tell Daddy (Tissit ja tango, 1995), Losing It
(Sukkien euroelämää, 1999), Rooms of Shadow
and Light (Valon ja varjon huoneet , 2001) and
International sales:
What Comes Around – See Everything, Feel Every-
Deckert Distribution
thing (Sen edestään löytää , 2004).
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation,
DFI, AVEK, NFTF, MEDIA
Financing TV companies:
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Recipes for Disaster
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2009 | HDV | 16:9 | 70’
F I N N I S H
D O C U M E N T A R Y
The story line of the documentary is clear: a voyage down the river from Moscow to the Caspian
Sea. The documentary articulates its ideas on many levels. It combines a sharp associative perception of reality with a mythic fresco depicting the history of the river. The elements of the film
are the voyage on the river and the passengers on the riverboat coming from all over Europe;
the cultural contradictions, the ancient wild nations, the Soviet Union, the Russia of today and,
finally, the observing Europeans.
This film is about all of us, about Europe.
Director, script: Marja Pensala
Marja Pensala
Cinematography: Vladimir Brulyakov,
Pensala has worked in several capacities in the field of cinema since
1969 – as scriptwriter, editor, producer and director. She has worked
in fiction, commercials, TV programmes and industrial, educational
and other commissioned films. Since 1981, she has carried out independent documentary film production as producer, scriptwriter, editor
and director. Among other films, she has directed two internationally awarded documentaries in Russia. The Eclipse of the Soul (Sielun
pimennys, 2001) and The Red Rocket (Punainen raketti , 2004). In both of
these films Pensala concentrates on the essence of the “Russian soul”.
Alexander Burov, Marita Hällfors
Editing: Timo Linnasalo
Sound design: Tero Malmberg
Producer: Heikki Partanen
Production company:
Alppiharjun Elokuva Oy
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation
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Volga, Volga
27
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
L i i k k u m a v a r a
]
Have you ever thought what your member of parliament does with his or her time between elections? Annika Grof’s film Within Limits spends a few hectic months with four MPs, following the
processing of a law in a Parliament committee. The filmmaker gives the viewer a close look at the
political work being done in the background, behind the committee’s closed doors, and at Parliament groups and discussions held in hallways. Each person does their work in their own way. The
film portrays politics as a struggle for one’s own values and a game behind political decisions, but
also shows it as the hard daily work that it is. We take a peek into an MP’s working life at the dayto-day level, up close. What is really hidden behind the bureaucratic language? How are feelings
expressed in victories and defeats? How personal are different issues to the people entrusted with
them, at the end of the day? How much power do MPs even have over various decisions?
Director: Annika Grof
Script: Annika Grof, Janina Kokkonen
Cinematography: Anssi Leino
Annika Grof
Editing: Pauliina Punkki
Director Annika Grof (born 1971) has completed
a Master of Arts degree in Documentary at the
Department of Film of the University of Industrial
Design and Arts Helsinki. Her graduation film
Alone, Together (Yksin, yhdessä , 2007) was given
a special mention in Nordisk Panorama 2008.
Her other films are Truckdriver, My Father
(Rekkamies, isäni , 2005), End of Innocence
(Lapsuuden loppu , 2002) and K.A. Nieminen (2000).
Sound design: Martti Turunen
Music: Ville Riippa
Producer: Pertti Veijalainen
Production company: Illume Ltd.
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK
Financing TV company:
YLE TV2 Documentaries
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Within Limits
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2009 | Digibeta | 16:9 | Stereo | ~90’
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F I N N I S H
D O C U M E N T A R Y
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FINNISH DOCUMENTARY FILMS 2009
(LENGTH BETWEEN 36–60 MINUTES)
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2 0 0 9
44500 Max
Director, script: Jari Kokko
The first and only Finnish perfumer, Max Perttula has always had a dream: to run a cosmetics
business of his own with a product range of world-famous, self-made perfumes and cosmetics of
high repute. Max created his first cold cream at the age of seven, and while his mates were playing football, Max sat at the library studying the ins and outs of cosmetics, scents, chemistry and
dermatology.
In 2005, at the age of 32, Max realised his dream when he started his business, Max Joacim
Cosmetics. Now, after two years of business, Max is on the edge. He’s totally broke and he desperately needs some orders to be able to pay back all the loans he’s taken for running his business.
On the other hand, if he receives orders, he’ll face another problem: how to produce enough
perfumes for the customers?
Gently and humorously, the film portrays Max Perttula striving for his dream. It follows Max’s
life closely for 18 months, during which time Max encounters small pieces of success and great
desperation, finally achieving an international breakthrough.
F I N N I S H
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I L M S
2009 | Digibeta / Betacam SP / DVCAM |
16:9 | Stereo | 58’
Cinematography: Jyrki Pitkä
Editing: Kimmo Kohtamäki
Jari Kokko
Sound design: Sami Pasanen
Jari Kokko was born in Viitasaari in
1961. He has studied documentary
directing at the Moscow Film Institute
(VGIK) and Russian language and literature at the University of Helsinki.
Jari Kokko lives in Helsinki and
works as a documentary director and
editor at Karlik Films.
Music: Jevgeni Fjodorov
Producer: Mikko Keinonen
Production company: Karlik Films
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation,
AVEK, Media 2007
Financing TV company: YLE TV1
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D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I L M S
2009 | Digibeta | 16:9 | Stereo | 58’
Director, script: Klas Fransberg
Cinematography: Jan Nyman
Editing: Klas Fransberg,
Tapio Rosengren
Sound design: Antti Vehman
Music: Kaija Penttala
Producer: Mats Långbacka
Production company:
Långfilm Productions Finland Oy
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation
Financing TV company: YLE FST5
34
Baron Wrede af Elimä
In 1948, the Finnish Baron Casper Wrede (1929–1998) meets an extraordinary man in a café in
Oslo. The man is called Amund Hönningstad. Amund is a philosopher who tells the young Casper
Wrede that, in the future, politics and religion would lose their importance, being replaced by
theatre. That is when the great mystery would be passed on to the next generation through actors
alone. Upon hearing this, Wrede decides to become a maker of theatre and moves to London.
He begins studying theatre at the renowned drama school of the Old Vic, where he meets such
famous British actors as Laurence Olivier, Tom Courtney and James Maxwell.
Wrede also made films. His landmark works were Ransom, starring Sean Connery, and One Day
in the Life of Ivan Denisovich , which is based on the novel of the same name by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and was banned in Finland, the director’s home country, for foreign policy reasons.
Eventually Wrede became one of the founding members of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. The theatre resembles the spacecraft Sputnik and is located in the world’s largest room
inside another building, the old cotton exchange in Manchester, where it still operates to this day.
The documentary traces the footsteps of Casper Wrede, meets some of his old colleagues and
tries to find out why One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is still banned in Finland.
Klas Fransberg
Klas Fransberg (b. 1957) lives in Vaasa and has since 1985 worked in various sectors of the film industry. He is a graduate of Åbo Akademi (majoring
in pedagogy) and has also studied at RTI (the radio and TV institute of the
Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE). Fransberg has directed several documentaries – among them The Wives of the Vikings (Viikinkien vaimot, 1994)
and A Fur Story (En pälshistoria, 2000) – and written fiction for television.
35
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
Jeesus meissä – tarinoita Jeesuksen kohtaamisesta
]
The film talks about how Jesus lives inside us. It is composed of episodes which show the situations in which people need Jesus in modern-day Finland.
The film’s characters have had a concrete meeting with Jesus in one way or another. Jesus has
been a fiancé, a friend, a political idol, an advisor in business affairs, the object of burning love,
a source of inspiration, a giver of meaning to life and a consolation in various situations. Stylistically the film is rich and colourful, containing absurd humour, as people’s search for meaning
is often absurd and contradictory. As a person and cultural symbol, Jesus affects every person
who has grown up in western culture, but Jesus’s personality and ideology may have completely
opposite meanings to different people. In Finland, religious beliefs are a taboo subject, which is
often left untouched even among one’s closest friends. This film is a multi-layered exploration of a
subject that is becoming more and more private in modern-day culture.
Matleena Jänis and Emilia Lehtinen
Directors, script, editing:
Matleena Jänis, Emilia Lehtinen
Cinematography: Jarkko T. Laine
Sound design: Janne Jankeri
Producer: Matias Boettge
Production company: Kinosfilmi
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK
Financing TV company: YLE
36
Encounters with Jesus (working title)
[
F I L M S
2 0 0 9
2009 | Digibeta | 16:9 | Stereo | 40’
Matleena Jänis and Emilia Lehtinen have graduated
from the Turku School of Media and Art in 1997.
They have made several documentaries and short
films. The film Bulu bulu – mielikuvien afrikkalaiset
received the Koura award for best non-fiction television programme in 2002. Matleena Jänis has also
studied anthropology at the University of Helsinki,
while Emilia Lehtinen has studied media research
at the University of Turku.
37
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
Director, script: Anna Korhonen
Cinematography: Ditte Uljas
Editing: Helena Öst
Y l i m ä ä r ä i s t ä
k o h i n a a
]
Ringa is a chatty nature child with ADHD, who does things first and thinks later, if she has the
time. She is not the most popular girl in class. Unless you are like everyone else, you have no business hanging out with the group of “accepted” kids. The different forms of bullying, being called
names, pushed around, spat on and discriminated against, are familiar to Ringa, as are various
instructions, guidance and coaching for proper behaviour. Social control is harsh and all of us,
children and adults alike, participate in it.
Extra Turbulence deals with all the unwritten rules surrounding us that define the way we
should be and how we should behave. All of us uphold these unspoken expectations. The lesson
to be learnt: control yourself and manage your life.
Extra Turbulence follows Ringa’s life from her final year in primary school to her days in junior
secondary school. In the film, Ringa grows up from a late developing nature child into a young
woman. We will also see the various means of survival Ringa develops for herself. Even though the
film deals with painful subjects, it contains plenty of laughter and humour, not least because of Ringa’s sunny disposition. As the doctor treating Ringa says: Ringa, you have a shining stage presence.
Sound design: Pertti Venetjoki
Music: Joonas Pirttilä
Anna Korhonen
Producer: Jouko Aaltonen
Anna Korhonen (b. 1964) is a documentary director from Helsinki
who has graduated from the Department of Film at the University
of Art and Design Helsinki. She is interested in the observation of
ordinary and everyday matters. Her previous film, Mother Brave
(Omalla vastuulla, 2001), dealt with choices women make. She has also
worked as a background and archive reporter in several documentary
films and TV programmes.
Production company: Illume Ltd.
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation,
AVEK, Kirkon mediasäätiö
Financing TV company:
YLE Co-productions
38
Extra Turbulence
[
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2 0 0 9
2009 | Digibeta | 16:9 | Stereo | ~50’
39
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
Director, script:
Mohamed El Aboudi
Cinematography: Jan Nyman,
Rostislav Aalto, Jyri Hakala
Editing: Jukka Nykänen
Sound design: Pekka Karjalainen
Music: Timo Peltola
Producer: Timo Korhonen
Production company:
Road Movies Oy
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation,
AVEK, Kirkon Mediasäätiö
Financing TV company: YLE TV2
40
The Fist of Allah
[
F I L M S
2 0 0 9
2009 | Digibeta | 16:9 | Stereo | 52’
A l l a h i n
n y r k k i
]
Umar Kemiläinen is a professional boxer who, until recently, had the European Championship as
his goal. He converted to Islam a few years ago, has no Finnish friends except for other converts
and is convinced that the whole society is against him because of his religion.
A year ago Umar’s life fell apart; he became seriously ill and had to cancel his boxing matches.
While in hospital, his wife left him and he lost his apartment. Now he is at a crossroads. Will he
continue boxing, or try another profession? Will he find a new wife? Will he become politically
active? Will he find his place in Finnish society or continue to feel alienated?
Umar has become active in the Islamic Party, the first of its kind in the Western world. The
party programme includes banning the sale of alcohol, promoting male circumcision and making compulsory music lessons in public schools optional.
This film is a story of a man who chose a religion that some people associate with terrorism,
because he found inner peace in it, a man who is determined to adopt a whole new culture and
who no longer feels at home in his own society.
Umar travels to Dubai to celebrate the end of Ramadan. There he also tries to find a Muslim
wife and a job. If he succeeds he may never come back to his native country again.
Mohamed El Aboudi
Mohamed El Aboudi was born in Morocco. He completed his
B.A. in Theatre at the University of Fes, Morocco (1991), and
an M.A. in Film and Television at Bond University Australia
(1997). His films include City Folk Helsinki (2007), Inside/
Offside (2006), Sound of Sadness (2006), Forever Stranger
(2005), Two Mothers (2005) and Ramadan (2004).
41
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
Ty t t ö
va rj o isi l t a
k u j i l t a
]
This documentary by Johanna Enäsuo tells a touching story of the way real life, dreams and films
are intertwined into a strange reality. The story tells of Leidy Tabares who, as a child, played the
main character in La Vendora del Rosas, a film by Victor Gaviria that became famous all over the
world, and the events that took place in Leidy’s life after the film. Shot in Medellín in Colombia in
the spring of 2008, the film contains lots of rare archive material.
Director, script: Johanna Enäsuo
Cinematography: Mikko Simula
Johanna Enäsuo
Editing: Iikka Hesse
Johanna Enäsuo studied documentary
film directing in London. She has
worked extensively in different tasks
in the organisation and production
side of the film industry. The Girl
from Shady Streets is her first
larger work as a director. It can be
considered the debut of a young and
talented artist.
Sound design: Jukka Uitto
Music: Arttu Takalo
Producer: Tuomas Sallinen
Production company:
Frameworks Production House
Production support: AVEK, Ministry
for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Financing TV company: YLE TV2
42
The Girl from Shady Streets
[
F I L M S
2 0 0 9
2008 | HD | 16:9 | Stereo | 52’
43
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
Y k s i n
J u m a l a
]
tells about the radical lifestyle of six Carmelite nuns in an old
Finnish manor that has been converted into a closed Carmelite convent.
Upon joining the convent, a Carmelite nun must take vows of eternal poverty, obedience and
celibacy. The Carmelite code also includes strict restrictions on movement, speaking and food.
Movement is determined by enclosure. It means living in a convent in cells intended for nuns
that are divided by barriers set up across rooms. The entire convent area, including its gardens,
is closed to the outside world. Filming inside the cloister was allowed for this film.
Another essential element in the Carmelite code is the requirement of silence. The sisters may
meet to have discussions only twice a day. Apart from that, and with the exception of common
prayers, they live in total silence.
The Carmelite sisters say that they are striving to find perfect love for God and humans with
their radical lifestyle. The strict daily rhythm of the convent has been created to serve only one
goal, prayer.
God Only Suffices (working title)
Director, script: Satu Väätäinen
Cinematography: Marita Hällforss
Editing: Tuuli Kuittinen
Satu Väätäinen
Sound design: Anne Tolkkinen
Satu Väätäinen has had a long career as a director of
religious programmes for television. She has widely studied
the traditions of the Catholic and Orthodox churches and
their monastic institutions. She has directed several TV
documentaries. Films directed by Väätäinen include Taipaleen
tsasouna – elävä muistomerkki (2008), Ikhtys – Myrkkyä pirulle
(2005), Elämänsä antanut (1997), Babushka (1995) and the
Finnish part of the Land of Europe series (1990).
Producer: Timo Korhonen
Production company:
Road Movies Oy
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation,
AVEK, Kirkon Mediasäätiö
Financing TV company: YLE TV1
44
God Only Suffices (working title)
[
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2 0 0 9
2009 | Digibeta | 16:9 | 5.1 | 52’
45
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
Director, script: Antti Seppänen
Cinematography: based on
8mm shootage by Oiva Kovanen
Photography: Teemu Liakka
Editing: Antti Seppänen,
Samu Heikkilä
Sound design: Kimmo Vänttinen
Music: Antti Kokkola,
Kimmo Mustonen
Producer: Pertti Veijalainen
Production company: Illume Ltd.
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation
Financing TV company:
YLE Co-productions
46
Iceberg Shadow
[
F I L M S
2 0 0 9
2009 | Digibeta | 16:9 | Stereo | ~40’
J ä ä v u o r e n
v a r j o o n
]
The director finds a box of 8-millimetre films full of images from all over the world at a flea
market.
Night after night, the thin strips of plastic lying in the box spring to life. They have been clearly
filmed by the same person. Who would have wanted to record these moments? Calm after a storm,
an oriental dancer, mist in Machu Picchu, a caterpillar eating a leaf and the blaring neon signs
of Manhattan. Mysteriously rippling hustle and bustle in ports that no longer exist. A million exposed squares of film. Someone’s entire life and experiences for sale at a flea market.
The surprising find opens a window to a lost world and takes the viewer on a journey around
the world with a forgotten adventurer, an old sailor – and even further away, as the filmmaker,
searching for the human behind the films, begins to ponder on what is left of us after the results
of decades of dedication end up at a flea market.
Antti Seppänen
In addition to directing, Antti Seppänen, 34, works as an editor and
cameraman. He has graduated from the Huston School of Film and Digital
Media in Ireland (M.A. in Film Production and Direction) and the Art and
Media department of the Tampere University of Applied Sciences (Bachelor
of Culture and Arts). He has also studied at the University of Salford in the
UK (Department of Media and Performance). Antti is an experienced cameraman and has participated in the making of documentaries e.g. in China
and Afghanistan. “Documentary films aim to explore and try to explain the
unexplained contained in concrete, seemingly everyday reality. It is typical
for me to find and create meanings by combining existing things.”
47
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
L a s k e t t u
a i k a
]
Kainuu 08 is a film about the beginning and end of life and perhaps about the beginning of the end
Director, script:
Markku Heikkinen
Cinematography:
Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen
Editing: Joona Louhivuori
Sound design: Anne Tolkkinen
Music: Pekka Lehti
Producer: Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen
Production company:
Zone2 Pictures Oy
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation,
AVEK, KMS
Financing TV company: YLE TV1
48
Kainuu 08
[
F I L M S
2 0 0 9
2009 | Digibeta | 16:9 | Stereo | 52’
in the remote villages of Kainuu. The film is set on the eve of the local government elections of
2008 and follows the lives of three senior people and their careers who live in the remote village
of Suomussalmi, and a young couple starting out their life together in Tipasoja.
About 100 residents move away from the region of Kainuu every month. This depopulation trend
is occurring faster here than in any other part of Finland. How will it be possible to secure services
that are an intrinsic part of people’s basic rights when the region’s tax revenue is decreasing?
The Kainuu residents who appear in the film are charismatic people who have taken a positive
attitude towards their lives and who refuse to grumble about small things. However, the people
living in these remote villages feel that they have been left to their own fate. None of the political
decision-makers are willing to defend people living in remote areas. These people fought and
cleared the way, but was it all for nothing?
Photo: Seppo, 74 years old and single, shouts every day to his 102-year-old mother: “Shut up!”
Markku Heikkinen
Markku Heikkinen is a documentary film maker and radio reporter. He graduated as a film
director from the University of Art and Design Helsinki in 2005. His latest works are Blue Boy
(Iltatähti, 2004), which tells the story of a mother who never
existed and a father who tried to be both parents, and the
documentary series Punklandia (2007) about Finnish punk culture,
created together with Ari Matikainen. At the start of 2009, he will
complete his documentary feature film All Boys, which deals with
men in the world of gay porn in Prague and Berlin.
49
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
H e t k i ä
m a t k a l l a
j o s s a k i n
]
True to its name, the film portrays certain moments in life, their meanings and meaninglessness. The director makes a very personal journey into his own past, revisiting events from twenty
years ago. He is reunited with his four daughters, whom he lost in a divorce, and asks them and
himself what has happened. The girls have moved to the US with their Christian congregation.
The director challenges the lost moments in his life and the imagined God concept that has
controlled events.
Director, script, editing:
Tuomas Sallinen
Cinematography: Mikko Simula
Sound design: Jukka Uitto
Music: Claude Vouteval
Producer: Tuomas Sallinen
Production company:
Frameworks Production House
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK
Financing TV company: YLE TV1
50
Moments in a Journey
[
F I L M S
2 0 0 9
2008 | HD | 16:9 | Stereo | 52’
Tuomas Sallinen
Tuomas Sallinen is a musician
and has worked in various
tasks in the film industry.
He has written, directed and
produced films in Finland
and elsewhere in Europe.
He composes and produces
film music, and plays several
instruments himself.
51
]
is a story about people suffering from electromagnetic
hypersensitivity (EHS) in a society intoxicated by technology.
If a person with EHS has been severely exposed to radiation, he cannot use computers, mobile
phones, public transportation or home appliances. He cannot shop for groceries or go to the
movies or any public place without severe symptoms. However, EHS is not officially recognised as
a medical condition. Those suffering from it are labelled as having mental problems.
The film follows the lives of three people affected by EHS, as they try to cope in an increasingly
electronic environment of wireless networks and accumulating electronics.
Refugees of Technocracy (working title) depicts the fast development of technology and the dominance of market values. Looking at the characters’ daily lives we create a bond between them and
the rest of us – how we are all trying to find a place where we could live happily and safely.
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
Te k n o k r a t i a p a k o l a i s e t
Refugees of Technocracy (working title)
Director, script: Jussi Eerola
Jussi Eerola
Editing: Tuula Mehtonen
Jussi Eerola (b. 1969) has worked as a cinematographer in many
internationally awarded documentaries and short films, as well as in
television movies and series, commercials and music videos. Eerola
has worked with Mika Taanila (Futuro, Optical Sound), Kari Juusonen
(Pizza Passionata, Birthday), Auli Mantila (Gray Power, Yksinen) and
Jouko Aaltonen (Revolution) among others. Eerola has also collaborated with several artists.
At the moment, Eerola is writing and filming a feature length
documentary about the building of Finland’s fifth nuclear power plant.
Refugees of Technocracy (working title) is his directorial debut.
Sound design: Mika Niinimaa
Assistant producer: Jussi Rantamäki
Executive producer: Auli Mantila
Production company:
Aamu Filmcompany Ltd
Production support: AVEK,
The Finnish Film Foundation
Financing TV company:
YLE Co-productions
52
Refugees of Technocracy (working title)
[
F I L M S
2 0 0 9
2009 | S16mm | 16:9 | Stereo | 55’
53
2 0 0 9
F I L M S
2008 | Digibeta | 16:9 |
Dolby Stereo | ~60’
E r i k o i s i a
t a p a u k s i a
]
is a dream-like film journey through a city that resembles Helsinki. The main
characters in the film are a tram, city dwellers travelling on board it and crossing its route, dogs,
other animals – and some Special Cases.
The film draws its inspiration from certain events of which the city’s residents have written letters to the Newspaper, as well as experiences the director has been through or heard of.
The film takes place during one day, in the Tram, on the streets and in parks and yards. During the journey, the peculiar and the ordinary, the tragic and the humorous and the absurd and
the normal change meaning. People, things and the city are viewed with amazement, devotion
and smiles.
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
[
Strange Events
Director, script, editing:
Kanerva Cederström
Cinematography: Marko Luukkonen
Sound design: Päivi Takala
Producer: Auli Mantila
Line producer: Riikka Poulsen
Production company:
Aamu Filmcompany Ltd
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK
Financing TV company : YLE
54
Strange events
Kanerva Cederström
Kanerva Cederström’s earlier films include
Two Uncles (Kaksi enoa 1990), Työttömän
pöytäkirja (1994), Haru, the Island of the
Solitary (Haru – yksinäisten saari , 1998),
Trans-Siberia (1998) and Lost and Found
(2003). Cederström has also worked as
a professor in documentary films at the
Department of Film at the University of
Art and Design Helsinki since 2003.
55
2 0 0 9
F I N N I S H
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I L M S
2009 | Digibeta | 16:9 |
Stereo | ~50’
Directors, script:
Nga Thu Vu-Lilja, Juho Lilja
Cinematography:
Nguyen Sy Khoa, Nguyen Sy Bang
Producer: Pertti Veijalainen
Production company: Illume Ltd.
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation,
Ministry for Foreign Affairs of
Finland
Financing TV company:
YLE Co-productions
56
Survivor
[
S e l v i y t y j ä
]
The documentary tells the story of Hung Thanh, one of the first self-employed entrepreneurs in Vietnam. His story shows us the reality of today’s Vietnam and gives us a feel for the challenges facing
people trying to survive in a “socialist market economy”. He is a man of principle: he renounced
his membership with the Communist Party, because he considered self-employed entrepreneurship inconsistent with the political line of the party. Today it’s a different story; the Party promotes
an open market economy, and the old war veteran cannot accept the open corruption of the Communist Party, nor the exploitation of party membership by members in their self-promotion.
Hung Thanh served 14 years in the army fighting against the Americans, the Khmer Rouge
and the Chinese. When he returned to his home village, the Vietnamese economy was finally free
and Hung Thanh became one of the first entrepreneurs. This former military scout decided to
end traditional rice cultivation and started to collect scrap metal. The most valuable scrap metal
comes from unexploded old bombs dropped from the air by the Americans all over Vietnam and
Laos. Now that Hung Thanh is almost sixty years old, he is turning over his small business to his
oldest son. They travel together to Laos to buy broken trucks, which they strip for adaptable spare
parts, and the rest they sell as scrap metal. They also transport defused bombs using trucks.
Nga Thu Vu-Lilja and Juho Lilja
Nga Vu-Lilja has worked several years in Vietnamese TV and continues
her work with YLE in Finland. She has planned and directed several
short TV documentaries and also possesses digital editing skills.
Juho Lilja has directed one feature documentary and a few short
fiction films. He has participated in several scriptwriting projects
and worked as a cinematographer.
57
2 0 0 9
F I L M S
2008 | 35mm / Digibeta | 16:9 |
Dolby surround | 45’
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
[
E i h ä n
t ä m ä
m a a
m i n u n
o m a n i
o l l u t
]
The 500-year history of the Finnish Romanies is hidden in songs. The ballads were secretly
hummed in the spinning schools and reformatories of 19th century Finland. They wafted out
from behind the walls of Kakola prison and the gates of Hämeenlinna women’s prison, out into
market squares and boiler rooms, where they continued to reach new generations of listeners.
One of the last traditional old-style singers is Hilja Grönfors, a self-taught artist who has gathered the all-but-forgotten verses of her people. Hilja is fullfilling her singing career bravely: even
the most small-scale performance calls a delicate balancing act in a world where a ten-metre
velvet skirt is both a stigma and a protective barrier. The traditional costume tells its own story.
In the documentary, Hilja’s memories, songs and everyday life are entwined with black and
white photographs by Ismo Hölttö and Mikko Savolainen, and archive footage of Finland in the
1960’s, when racism was the norm and the Romanies lived on the road, in rusty train carriages or
temporary shacks made of cardboard boxes and corrugated iron.
Director, script, editing:
Katariina Lillqvist
Cinematography: Tahvo Hirvonen
Sound design: Jouko Lumme
Music: Hilja Grönforss
Producer: Jyrki Kaipainen
Production company: Elokuvaosuuskunta Camera Cagliostro
Production support: AVEK
Financing TV company:
YLE TV2 Documentaries
58
This Land Was Not My Land
Katariina Lillqvist
Katariina Lillqvist, one of the most well-known
Finnish animation film makers, has also made several
documentaries. Her recent works include Thunderdrum
(Ukkosrumpu, 2000) about archaic architecture in
Finland and Romanytheater (Romaniteatteri, 2004) about
Czech Romani refugees.
Her animation series Mire Bala Kale Hin – Tales from
the Endless Roads (Mire Bala Kale Hin – Tarinoita matkan
takaa , 2003) is based on Gypsy fairytales and myths.
59
]
is a film about athletic men with a positive view of the world, who participate in
marathons and half marathons – dressed in tuxedos. They urge on and compete with other runners during their races. They also collect money for charity by coaching celebrity runners, who
receive money from their sponsors for every kilometre they run. This film is also a portrayal of
the positive madness of Finns.
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
S m o k k i j u o k s i j a t
Tuxedo Runners
Director, script,
Kauko Lindfors
cinematography, editing,
For the past twenty years, Kauko Lindfors has
worked in over 200 productions in different roles
– as a soundman, sound designer, editor and actor.
In his documentaries, he has dealt with childlessness
(Uskon vasta kun pää näkyy, 1994) and mental health
problems (Light My Head / Valoa päähän, 2005).
Lindfors’ experimental animation documentary
1-7=72=0 (2007) was the recipient of state
quality support.
sound design, music, producer:
Kauko Lindfors
Production company:
Angry-La Visual Design Ky
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation
Financing TV company:
YLE TV1
60
Tuxedo Runners
[
F I L M S
2 0 0 9
2009 | DigiBeta | 16:9 | Stereo | 50’
61
Director, script, cinematography:
Lasse Naukkarinen
Editing: Nina Normann
Sound design: Heikki Innanen
Producer: Lasse Naukkarinen
Production company:
Ilokuva, Naukkarinen & Co
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK
Financing TV company:
YLE TV2 Documentaries
62
An Upscale Neighbourhood
[
Arvostetulla alueella
]
The documentary shows us the old Tuomarila, a village in the middle of the city of Espoo, and
its people and history. Tuomarila still exhibits small glimpses of people’s work and love for their
living environment. The oldest generation, which has now almost passed away, built their own
houses with the help of their friends and neighbours.
The growing cities of the south have a shortage of land for construction. The people moving to
the south in search of jobs need dwellings. This feeds a large-scale business. Developers want to
evict the old residents, demolish their houses, break up yards by building new houses too closely
together and cover the old, beautiful gardens, that have made the area pleasant and “upscale”,
with asphalt. The developers won’t stay and live in the area they have ruined once they have
scraped the soil, the elderly people and the money away.
What is being created now lacks history; fake atelier houses, seaside villas on side alleys,
apartment blocks on streets with names like Talkoopolku (meaning Voluntary Help Path) speak
of a world that has been destroyed. The film is shot from the point of view of the director, who has
lived in “the upscale neighbourhood” for a long time and recorded the changes taking place.
Lasse Naukkarinen
Naukkarinen (b. 1942) is a director, cinematographer and producer.
The first of the more than 30 films he has directed were political
(Solidarity / Solidaarisuus 1970). In the ’80s and ’90s, he made
documentaries that examined society (No Comments, 1984), followed
by gritty profiles (Dog Trails / Koiranpolkuja, 1995) and, later, artist
profiles (Miina! / Miinavaara! , 2003). His latest work includes
South Indian Thali (Etelä-Intian Thali 2007) and Rebels with a cause
(Jos mulla ois valta, 2008, with Antti Haase and Janne Niskala).
Photo: Tero Kinnunen
2 0 0 9
F I N N I S H
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I L M S
2009 | Digibeta / Beta SP / DVD |
16:9 | Stereo | 58’
63
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
Unelmien kylä
]
Director, script, cinematography:
Dreams on a collision course, a family in a community, voluntary work to help others and growth
on an emotional level are some of the themes of this film.
Living in an eco-community in Keuruu in central Finland, the Tuohiniitty family strives to
live ecologically and to be as self-sufficient as possible in food and energy. Hannes Tuohiniitty, a
passionate idealist and father, grows organic food in his fields, renovates his home and runs for
Parliament as a representative of the Green Party.
The views and needs of the community and the family, however, do not meet and coordinating
all the work that needs to be done becomes an impossible task. Life puts the family at a difficult
crossroads.
What will happen to their dream when reality shows you its ugliest face?
Ville Grönroos
Editing, music: Ville Tanttu
Sound design: Juha Hakanen
Producer: Matti Reinikka
Ville Grönroos
Production company:
Elokuvaosuuskunta Siperia
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK,
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry,
Regional Council of Central Finland,
The Green Cultural and
Educational Centre ViSiO
Financing TV company: YLE TV1
64
Village of Dreams
[
F I L M S
2 0 0 9
2008 | Digibeta | 16:9 | Stereo | 52’06’’
Ville Grönroos (b. 1971) has worked in
TV and film productions as a cameraman,
editor and camera assistant. The last
seven years he has directed, filmed and
edited TV documentaries. Some of the
previous documentaries he has directed
include Yellow Headlines (Lööpintekijät,
2001), Hardcore Jobless (Kilometritehdas,
2002) and Sleep School (Unikoulu, 2004).
65
66
F I N N I S H
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I L M S
2 0 0 9
FINNISH DOCUMENTARY FILMS 2009
(LENGTH 35 MINUTES OR LESS)
67
2 0 0 9
F I L M S
2008 | Digibeta / Beta SP (PAL or
NTSC) / DVcam / DVD | 1,33:1 |
Stereo 2.0 | 5’
Death in a Modern Day Finland
[
Kuolema nyky-Suomessa
]
F I N N I S H
D O C U M E N T A R Y
A form of life from the days of the past still exists in a busy high-tech northern country. An old village shop in rural eastern Finland is open. Nature and the village centre live in symbiosis on a hot
summer day. Under the calm and beautiful surface, you can feel the inevitable change.
Antti Lempiäinen
Director, script,
cinematography, editing:
Antti Lempiäinen
Sound design, music: Petrus Rapo
Producer: Antti Lempiäinen
Production company:
Halko Productions
Production support:
The Arts Council of
South-East Finland
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Antti received his B.A. degree in Film and Television from the
Lahti University of Applied Sciences in Finland. His graduation
film in cinematography Man Seeking Man (Mies etsii miestä,
2004) won several awards and was invited to over 100 international film festivals. It was sold to YLE Uusi Kino and MTV
LOGO North America, and released on several DVD compilations. Death in a Modern Day Finland is his latest short film,
and it was first released at the international short film festival
“Curtas 2008” in Vila do Conde in Portugal. Antti is currently
working as a documentary film DoP with YLE.
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D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
Göringin sauva
]
This film tells the story of Felix Forsman, a curious and daring war cinematographer with a great
sense of humour, and his most memorable filming assingment. Early in June 1942, Adolf Hitler
paid a surprise visit to Finland to congratulate Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, the Commander in Chief
of the Finnish Defence Forces on his 75th birthday (which, incidentally, was the only time Hitler
travelled outside the Third Reich) and Mannerheim, though reluctantly, decided to return the
favour by visiting Germany. Felix was present, filming on both occasions. Through his lens, Felix
was able to observe Hitler, Hermann Göring, and the conditions in Berlin and in the Nazi German headquarters during the summer of 1942. From these eight days, Felix has, of course, sad
stories to tell, but also surprising and humorous ones, and this will be the first time he has done
it in public. The newsreel that was made out of these images was banned shortly after it was completed, and it remained censored for 65 years. The reason for this will be exposed in the film.
Director, script: Pia Andell
Cinematography: Pekka Uotila
Pia Andell
Sound design:
Pia Andell, born in 1964, has been making
documentary films since 1992. Many of the films
of Pia Andell have been shown and given prizes
at many internationally renowned festivals,
like the IDFA, Prix Europa, BANFF and Nordisk
Panorama. Her previous films include international successes like Y in Vyborg (Hetket jotka
jäivät , 2006), and Sibling Relations (Pieni elokuva
sisaruussuhteista , 2001).
Janne Laine, Kirsi Korhonen
Music: Pessi Levanto
Producer: Pia Andell
Production company:
Of Course My Films
Production support:
The Finnish Film Foundation,
Financing TV company: YLE Teema
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Göring’s Baton
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2009 | Digibeta | 4:3 | 24’
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]
is a short film based on the oldest surviving film clips shot in Helsinki and on new
images shot by Pekka Uotila in the same locations between 2006 and 2008.
The film moves between these clips from different eras and creates a strange sense of connection between the past and the present for the viewer. It captures close-ups of people in the shots and
highlights those random seconds that have been stored on film. The images we are shown include
“a dignified officer”, “joyful boys”, “smoke from a gentleman’s cigar”, “a working man’s gaze” etc.
By capturing, repeating and enlarging these moments, Uotila tries to make the viewer realise
that the person in the picture is living in his or her “present”. Any moment, when experienced by
a human, is as real as “now” at home in front of the TV or in the theatre at a film festival.
This film is a visual poem about time and its changes, and about the anonymous residents of
Helsinki in their moments of here and now. Living pictures still possess a certain magic, and this
film is a tribute to the miracle of the moving picture, to the traditional movie camera and, to a
certain extent, to its user, the cinematographer.
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I N N I S H
Nyt ja nyt – Kuvia Helsingistä ennen ja nyt
Now and Now
Pekka Uotila
Director, script: Pekka Uotila
Editing: Pekka Uotila, Heikki Kotsalo
Sound design: Tero Malmberg
Producer: HT Partanen
Production company:
Alppiharjun Elokuva Oy
Production support: AVEK
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Now and Now
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2009 | HDV | 16:9 | 17’
Uotila (b. 1958) has graduated from the Department of Film at the University of Art and Design
Helsinki in ’92. He is a film industry professional specialising in cinematography, and works as a
cinematographer and film director. He has worked as the chief cinematographer in over 20 documentary films, the latest of which is Daughters of Palna (Palnan tyttäret, 2007, by Kiti Luostarinen).
He has also shot four fiction feature films that have been distributed to
theatres and several TV dramas. Besides his work in cinematography,
he has also directed documentary films. The most successful of these has
been Eino and I (Eino ja mä), which won the main prize in the Finnish
films’ category at the Tampere FF and the Risto Jarva prize in ’98.
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Director, script, cinematography,
[
M a a i l m a n
v a l o
]
A video montage by Jari Haanperä, where the lights of different metropoles intertwine into a network of lights that covers the whole planet. On the northern fringe of this network, in the light of
an electric bulb, a group of Finns contemplate the concept of “world of light” and their individual
relationships to it.
”If you have the power, the might and the money, the simplest way of showing it all is to use
enormous amounts of light.”
“Lights make up a system which is similar to a neural network in the way they interconnect. It
will probably grow a lot denser and then starts to seek its optimum form. We are possibly still in
a state of growth.”
“The amount of light in the world is equal to the ability of a man to generate it. There will be
more light tomorrow than there is today, whether I want it or not. Then the only possibility that is
left will be to get out of the light.”
“Fear is one of the central issues associated with darkness. Man needs a lot of artificial light
to keep the fear at bay.”
editing, music: Jari Haanperä
Sound design: Jari Haanperä,
Jari Haanperä
Epa Tamminen
Producer: Mirka Flander
Jari Haanperä makes short films, videos and
light and sound installations. He uses the whole
range of the moving image, from precinematic
methods to videos and 35mm fiction films.
His works have been shown in art museums and
galleries as well as at film and art festivals all
over the world.
Production company:
Lumenia Productions
Production support: AVEK
Financing TV company:
YLE Co-productions
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World of Light
Photo: Sakari Viika
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F I N N I S H
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I L M S
2009 | Digibeta / DVD | 16:9 |
5.1 Stereo | 30’
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Contacts
F I N N I S H
D O C U M E N T A R Y
Aamu Filmcompany Ltd
Hiihtomäentie 34
FI-00800 Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 6874 4980
Fax. +358 9 6874 4981
info@aamufilmcompany.fi
info@elokuvayhtiöaamu.fi
www.aamufilmcompany.fi
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Festival contacts
for all titles:
The Finnish Film Foundation
Kanavakatu 12
FI-00160 Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 6220 300
Fax +358 9 6220 3050
ses@ses.fi
www.ses.fi
Alppiharjun Elokuva Oy
Viipurinkatu 16 B 22
FI-00510 Helsinki
Mob. +358 50 563 4085
Fax +358 9 148 1636
alppiharjunelokuva@jippii.fi
www.alppiharjunelokuva.com
Angry-La Visual Design Ky
Maauunintie 29 J 22
FI-01450 Vantaa
Tel. +358 400 419 113
angryla@kolumbus.fi
Art Films production AFP Oy
Merimiehenkatu 10
FI-00150 Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 4159 3640
Fax +358 9 4159 3690
info@artfilms.inet.fi
www.artfilmsproduction.com
Deckert Distribution GmbH
www.deckert-distribution.com
Elokuvaosuuskunta Camera Cagliostro
Vellamonkatu 1
FI-33100 Tampere
Tel. +358 3 2226 790
Mobile +358 41 4344 399
jyrki@cameracagliostro.fi
www.cameracagliostro.fi
Elokuvaosuuskunta Siperia
Luotsikatu 3 E
FI-00160 Helsinki
Tel. +358 40 703 4094
siperia@elisanet.fi
First Hand Films
www.firsthandfilms.com
Frameworks Production House
Lönnrotinkatu 38 B 30
FI-00180 Helsinki
Tel. +358 45 122 1964
info@frameworks.fi
Giron-filmi Oy
Vanha viertotie 6 B 12
FI-00350 Helsinki
Tel. +358 50 529 2317
Halko Productions
c/o Antti Lempiäinen
Viides linja 6 b, 38
FI-00530 Helsinki
Tel. +358 50 3210 179
antti.lempiainen@gmail.com
halko.productions@gmail.com
Illume Ltd.
Palkkatilankatu 7B
FI-00240 Helsinki
Tel./Fax +358 9 1481 489
illume@illume.fi
www.illume.fi
Ilokuva, Naukkarinen & Co
Palotie 23
FI-02760 Espoo
Tel. +358 9 8554 860
Mob. +358 50 5711702
ilokuva@ilokuva.fi
www.ilokuva.fi
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F I L M S
F I N N I S H
D O C U M E N T A R Y
J. W. Documentaries Oy
Kapteeninkatu 8 F 12
FI-00140 Helsinki
Tel. +358 500 615 345
Fax +358 9 6873 1910
websters@dlc.fi
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Karlik Films
Kurikkaniementie 3 C
FI-79700 Heinävesi
Tel. +358 40 515 2378
mikko.keinonen@karlikfilms.com
www.karlikfilms.com
Festival contacts
for all titles:
The Finnish Film Foundation
Kanavakatu 12
FI-00160 Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 6220 300
Fax +358 9 6220 3050
ses@ses.fi
www.ses.fi
Kinosfilmi
Torkkelinkuja 8 A 24
FI-00500 Helsinki
Tel. +358 50 544 5757
matias.boettge@kinosfilmi.fi
Kinotar Oy
Vuorikatu 16 A 9
FI-00100 Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 1351 864
Fax +358 9 1357 863
kinotar@kinotar.com
www.kinotar.com
Lumenia Productions
PL 719
FI-00101 Helsinki
Tel. +358 40 552 3410
flander@mbnet.fi
Långfilm Productions Finland Oy
Pietarinkatu 9
FI-00140 Helsinki
Tel. +358 10 440 4800
Fax +358 10 440 4809
info@langfilm.fi
www.langfilm.fi
Millennium Film
Koskikartanontie 12
FI-75530 Nurmes
Tel. +358 13 511 0100
Fax +358 13 511 0111
millennium@millenniumfilm.fi
www.millenniumfilm.fi
Mouka Filmi Oy
Vilhonvuorenkatu 11 B 7
FI-00500 Helsinki
Tel. +358 40 731 4354
Fax +358 19 488 692
sami@mouka.fi
www.mouka.fi
Road Movies Oy
Poutamäentie 14 F 63
FI-00360 Helsinki
Tel. +358 400 365 770
timo.korhonen@roadmovies.fi
RT Documentaries Oy
Runeberginkatu 28 B 11
FI-00100 Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 445 049
Fax +358 9 490 692
rtd@saunalahti.fi
Unilumi Oy
Lumimetsä
Tolosentie 100
FI-99800 Ivalo Avvil
Tel. +358 40 761 5089
info@unilumi.com
www.unilumi.com
Zone2 Pictures Oy
Pengerkatu 1 B 42
FI-00530 Helsinki
Tel. +358 40 576 9073
zone2@zone2.fi
www.zone2pictures.fi
www.zone2pictures.com
Of Course My Films
Nordenskiöldinkatu 3b A 11
FI-00250 Helsinki,
Tel. / Fax +358 9 241 7233
ofcoursemyfilms@luukku.com
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F I L M S
Page 1: Recipes for Disaster by John Webster | Page 5: All Boys by Markku Heikkinen | Page 31:44500 Max by Jari Kokko | Page 67: Now and Now by Pekka Uotila
Inside cover, front: World of Light by Jari Haanperä | Inside cover, back: Rebels with a Cause by Antti Haase, Lasse Naukkarinen and Janne Niskala
F I N N I S H
D O C U M E N T A R Y
Back cover: Village of Dreams by Ville Grönroos, Baron Wrede af Elimä by Klas Fransberg, Death in a Modern Day Finland by Antti Lempiäinen, Kainuu 08 by Markku Heikkinen,
All Boys by Markku Heikkinen, Strange Events by Kanerva Cederström, Earth Evocation by Anastasia Lapsui and Markku Lehmuskallio
The Finnish Film Foundation | Kanavakatu 12 | FI-00160 Helsinki | Tel. +358 9 6220 300 | Fax +358 9 6220 3050 | ses@ses.fi | www.ses.fi
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Editor: Satu Elo | Translations / editing: Said Dakash | Layout: Maikki Rantala, Praxis Oy | Printed by: Erikoispaino Oy, Helsinki, 2008 | ISSN 1795-9977
2 0 0 9
Front cover: Ito – A Diary of a City Priest by Pirjo Honkasalo
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F I N N I S H
D O C U M E N T A R Y
F I L M S
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The Finnish Film Foundation
w w w . s e s . f i