Package Deals: Finland
Jul 16 - Jul 18, 2010
(Various artists, Finland, 2010, Beta-SP, 90 min)
West coast premiere!
Suomi, Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu… What happens in these little known urban centers of Finland? This program shows there’s freak folk, heavy metal, contemporary art, new media, reindeer and perhaps a Laplander or two.
The duo behind the enterprising curatorial project Package Deals recently traveled across Finland to source the latest installment in their ongoing series of geographically-themed programs. Their diplomacy unearthed work that reflects the spirit of Aki Kaurismaki, Eija-Liisa Ahtila and Jimi Tenor, but in an unexpected way. Package Deals: Finland toasts the freshest finds in contemporary Finnish film, video art, short documentaries, animation and music videos south of the Arctic Circle. Kippis!
Program includes:
1. Lau Nau, Painovoimaa, valoa
(Sami Sänpäkkilä, 2008, video, 5 min) A freak folk music video.
2.Under the Surface
(Veera Lehtola, 2009, DigiBeta, 7 min) A Stunning student film from Turku Art Academy. Memories of one childhood summer around an abandoned swimming pool.
3. Kiipeilypuu (The Climbing Tree)
(Jenni Rope, 2008, animation on video, 3 min) Stop-motion animation by Helsinki-based illustrator and artist Rope with music by Paavoharju.
4. GIG
(Liisa Lounila, 2007, video, 4 min) A three minute video of people attending a club gig by visual artist Lounila. Instead of the performance on the stage the attention focuses on club goers observing each other. The visual starting point for the work was baroque painter Caravaggio’s group scenes, with dark backgrounds and dramatically illuminated compositions of actors seemingly participating in something divine. As an addition to these the music for the piece was composed to echo Michael Nyman’s minimalistic soundtracks for Peter Greenaway’s films, to give a feeling of a staged costume drama, but with a hint of indie rock to keep it connected with the actual happenings on the screen. The music is performed by a small classical chamber orchestra, set up for the piece.
5. Eleanoora Rosenholm, Ambulanssikuskitar
(Pete Veljalainen, 2008, video, 5 min) A music video that was the grand prize winner at Oulu Music Video Festival 2009
6. Evolutions
(Jani Ruscica, 2008, S16mm film transferred to DigiBeta, 18 min) The piece has been realized communally. The seven episodes in the film, the seven stories about world views and the birth of the universe, have been created by visual artist Ruscica together with youths from 12 to 19 years old who share a passion for theatre. The stage for each episode and story is set up in a film studio. Minimalist sets, artificial lighting and authentic sounds morph the studio, a ”blank canvas,” into a temporary surface of projection for each protagonist’s world view. The episodes are variations on the same theme.
7. Lumikko (The Little Snow Animal)
(Miia Tervo, 2009, video, 19 min) Grand Prix winner of Tampere Film Festival’s International Competition. Based on a phone conversation with a young girl and Pekka Sauri in the radio program Yölinja. Lumikko is only the third Finnish film that has ever received the Grand Prix. Made when Tervo was a student at Aalto University, Helsinki.
8. Zebra and Snake, The Colours
(Miikka Lommi, 2009, video, 4 min) Music video that won honorable mention at Oulu Music Video Festival in 2009.
9. English Lessons
(Sara Wahl, Niina Suominen, Lotta Rapeli, Samppa Kukkonen, Tommi Juutilainen, CHRZU, Reetta Neittaanmäki & Lauri Järvenpää, 2008, animation on video, 20 min) An animated English language course that recycles a 1970s English audio lesson. In eight lessons one can learn, in addition to the English language, important things about studying, dynamics between the sexes, and money. Made collaboratively by eight different Finnish animators who have organized their own collective production company.
