Top: Puk Lodahl Eisenhardt, Einari Paakkanen, Mónica Hernández Rejón
Bottom: Carl Christian Lein Størmer, Anní Ólafsdóttir, Vesa Kuosmanen
The 2020 Nordic talents attending online IDFAcademy talk to Business Doc Europe about the projects they will be pitching to, and discussing this year with, the great and the good of the international documentary community.
Finnish filmmaker Vesa Kuosmanen is currently directing the feature-length doc We Are Animals, produced by Tuffi Films, as well as writing the tv-series Cruising for Sex, commissioned by YLE Finnish Broadcasting Company. We Are Animals follows animal rights activists in their fight against the multi-billion euro food industry over the past decade. He aims to deliver in Autumn 2021.
“Obviously there is a strong conflict between the activists and animal farmers,” says Kuosmanen. “Killing of animals is a controversial subject, and the film will authentically portray the sorrow, the anger, and the unproductive frustration of our main characters. However, we aim not to blame the pig farmer who breaks down in tears in the courtroom. They, as well, are small particles in the chain of food production system that seems to care only about its profits.”
“Instead of a classic Hollywood hero story, we want to show the humanity behind societal struggle,” he adds.
Kuosmanen outlines his modus operandi. “I believe in close collaboration between all the team members, so it’s almost endless conversation before the actual filming. Whether it’s editor or sound designer, I think letting people feel ownership of the project as early as possible makes the process of filmmaking more enjoyable.”
Norwegian “autodidact” filmmaker Carl Christian Lein Størmer’s Before We Die is about the band Hangface who, in the early 2000’s, move from a small town in northern Norway to Hollywood to grasp the American dream. Fifteen years later there’s no evidence of their odyssey having ever happened. Until 500 hours of personal video tapes appear….
The project is supported by Norwegian Film Institute, Northern Norwegian Film Council, Filmfond Nord and Fond for Lyd og Bilde, and is currently securing the remaining budget and looking for international co-producers and sales agents/distributors. The team are aiming for a 2022 premiere.
Why this story? “I think there are several reasons, but I think the main incitement comes from the sort of “shared experience” of a life (best/worst?) lived,” answers Størmer. “With that I mean that I’ve always wanted to tell a story from the music scene – and more specifically the level of the music industry that’s sort of “pre-stardom”. Biographies and biopics are always about the people that made it.”
“But what about those who almost made it? From personal experience I know that the human stories from within that struggle is more appealing to me. And also the question how people deal with (self-perceived) failure. I always envisioned a fiction film, but then the story of Hangface came to my attention,” he adds. “I realized that If I could get hold of the material – I could potentially tell a story that’s seems even more fiction than fiction. About music, passion, friendship, loss and total sacrifice.”
Danish producer Puk Lodahl Eisenhardt (GotFat Productions) is presenting the doc Deepali, directed by Anne Svejgaard Lund, during online Amsterdam. It is the story of a young Indian girl whose climb to the peaks of the Himalayas pushed the boundaries of what women, she says, are considered able to do.
“There are so many important stories to tell from all around the world which can inspire people and the world we live in,” she explains of the necessity to make the film. “We need to share our experiences, so we can share our knowledge and enlighten each other.”
“I tend to work with female directors, who tells stories of female characters who want to change the world we live in, and how we see [that] whether the film is filmed in the countryside in Denmark, or in the Himalayan mountains,” she adds. “Whether it’s about an woman in her 80’s or a young girl, it is important to tell their story. We all need to hear about the next Malala, Greta or Rosa.”
And what will be Eisenhardt’s ideal takeaway from the 2020 IDFAcademy experience? “It’s always exciting to meet new fellow producers and directors from all around Europe. We’re looking for potential co-producers for our future projects at GotFat Productions, and a place like IDFAcademy is a great opportunity for that.”
Mónica Hernández Rejón is a Mexican film producer, director and programmer based in Sweden, where she works at her production company Pråmfilm. At IDFA she is discussing the urgent doc project Fly So Far, directed by Celina Escher, which follows Teodora Vásquez, the spokesperson of the women accused of aggravated homicide and imprisoned in El Salvador for having had a miscarriage.
“Teodora’s case has become a symbol of the extremism in the criminalization of abortion and the cruelty against women within the Salvadoran system. But also, of empowerment, resilience and solidarity,” says Rejón.
“We are currently developing the distribution strategy in collaboration with the Swedish Film Institute and CAT & Docs, the film’s sales agent. We expect to have the world premiere and the festival tour during 2021,” the producer explains. “The distribution of the film will include an impact campaign with focus on spreading information about the situation of the women imprisoned in El Salvador, as well as on promoting the legalization of abortion worldwide.”
“My interest in being part of IDFAcademy 2020 is to continue developing my skills as a film producer and director, and to expand my international network,” Rejón adds. “I believe that having the chance to connect with other film professionals outside Sweden is key to open a broader space for me, the filmmakers I work with and the films we are creating.”
Singing Finnish filmmaker Einari Paakkanen is somewhat of a philosopher. “Finns don’t show emotions – they sing karaoke,” he says, which also forms half of the log-line for his film Karaoke Nation (working title). Produced by napafilms, the doc will present five stories “that celebrate the power of music and life itself.”
In the doc, Kari has installed a karaoke system in his auto repair shop, where he sings alone at night about finding love. Toni, an introverted construction worker who lives with his mum, tries to find the courage to become independent by going to karaoke bars every weekend. Laura, who can only sing happy karaoke songs, tries to overcome the pain of losing her daughter. Elina forgets that she has Parkinson’s every time she sings punk songs. Evi, one of Finland’s most experienced karaoke hostesses, wants to hug her customers’ pain away.
“Many times, I’ve heard that I make warm-hearted, sympathetic films with a quirky Finnish humour,” he explains of his trade. “My approach to doc-making is deep respect and love for my characters. I try to be worthy of the trust that my characters have placed in me during the filmmaking. I’ve failed completely if the protagonists of my films don’t recognize themselves from the screen.”
“I see documentary filmmakers as part of a big family,” he adds on what he hopes to get out of IDFAcademy 2020. “So, in a way, I’d be happy to extend my ‘family’ and meet new, long-lost relatives. But of course in addition to networking, I’d be more than happy to learn about new filmmaking methods and approaches to doc-making and get a few tips and ideas for the editing-process of my project.”
Anní Ólafsdóttir is Iceland‘s participant at this year’s IDFAcademy. Anní’s first feature-length documentary project was The Hero’s Journey to the Third Pole (2020), directed by both her and Andri Snær Magnason.
Her second doc Apausalypse is now nearing completion and scheduled to premiere in December 2020. The film will explore this time of the ‘great pause’ in 2020. What does it mean when the world stops. Is greater change coming?
“We wanted to explore what Douglas Coupland calls the extreme present,” comments Ólafsdóttir. “Things that are so obvious when they are happening, they are almost painfully obvious, but then some weeks pass and we can’t recall our feelings in the exact moment. Apocalypse does not mean ‘end of the world’ but to uncover something. And the pandemic uncovers so much. So we spoke to writers, poets, philosophers, during the height of the Covid virus if they felt these times had a deeper meaning.”
As for IDFAcademy, the Icelandic director explains how, “I would love to get inspiration from the others and ideas, possibly feedback, some input into the project while it is so ripe. I just premiered my first feature length documentary film so I am just starting to navigate and get to know the international film community. I am thrilled to take part in this program. I am quite new so I don’t know exactly what to expect, but I hope to get to know people, how they think and how they work, get some practical tools, get insights into what people are thinking and doing all over the world. Maybe make some friends and meet future collaborators.”
