Finnish Film Affair has selected two doc projects for its in augural Finnish Weird (F-Weird) programme, described as “a playground for your wildest ideas, and a party for your extravagant thoughts.” Or alternatively, a platform for “the feature project you don’t dare to tell your mom about, the TV series you think will be a hit but no one gets, or the idea you don’t want to define yet because you HaTe LaBeLs.”
Roy Dipankar’s Indian/Czech Death. Karma. Moksha “focuses on Czech musician Vladimír Pavelka: his personal life story, his artistic works, and how he divides his time between the Czech Republic and nursing his ailing grandmother of 90 years in Slovakia, behind-the-mask human interactions, childhood memories and a hint of necrophilia. The film is a fresh take on subculture, travel, spirituality, artistic explorations, and a curious look into what makes us human,” according to the project description.
Meanwhile, Finnish Postpartum – Are You Ready for the Challenge by Milla Puolakanaho is described as “a warm-hearted reality show seasoned with a comedic twist, in which four non-birthing parents tackle one of life’s most demanding challenge, the birth of a baby and the postpartum period.”
As earlier reported, six new Finnish feature documentaries and one doc series will be presented during Finnish Film Affair, 25-27 September. Other features of FFA 2024 include a spotlight on avenues and means of co-production with other countries, including India. Award-winning producer Rakasree Basu will deliver a crucial keynote talk, ‘Co-producing with India’, offering insights for buyers and key industry players.
Feature documentaries
- But I’m No Influencer (Finland) by Jussi Sandhu. Producer: Pasi Hakkio. Production company: Wacky Tie Films. Synopsis: By studying at an Influencer’s Academy, Mark himself becomes the lesson. When Mark, a businessman living in the Philippines, sees a social media advertisement for business school studies in Finland, he decides to accept the invitation from a country known for the best education in the world. Upon arriving he finds out that the school is called Influencers Academy. That’s not what he signed for…
- Fruitcakes – The Dawn of Drag (Finland) by Vesa Kuosmanen. Producer: Sandra Enkvist. Production company: Polygraf. Synopsis: Jolanda, a retired archivist, has treasured memories of his beloved friend Mummo for decades. In 1979 they performed together in Finland’s first drag show Happy Gays. Now, together with a filmmaker, Jolanda invites a new generation of queer drag artists to re-enact their friendship. As the performers explore Jolanda’s past and the challenges he faced as an outsider, they realize their freedom and pride are rooted in the struggles of those who came before them.
- In Cod We Trust (Norway, Sweden) by Guro Saniola Bjerk. Producers: Benedikte Bredesen, Pasi Hakkio. Production companies: f(x) produksjoner AS, Wacky Tie Films. Synopsis: In the coldest and most remote place, you find the warmest people with the most outstanding humour. In Cod We Trust is a portrait of a town, and a meditation on home and belonging. We spent a year in Båtsfjord, one of the northernmost fishing villages of the world. This is a mosaic film of people who are as unpredictable as the weather and sea surrounding them, knit together by fish and nature.
- Riding with Death (Finland) by Nina Forsman, Sakari Suuronen. Producer: Markku Tuurna. Production company: Filmimaa. Synopsis: The tuberculosis sanatorium was heaven and hell for its patients. The history of tuberculosis includes death, shame and isolation as well as romances, joy and survival. Riding with Death is a documentary film that shows the emotional impact of tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks and reveals the rich sanatorium culture between 1920-60 in Finland.
- The Beauty of Errors (Finland, Sweden, Norway) by Jukka Kärkkäinen. Producer: Juha Löppönen, Sami Jahnukainen. Co-producers: Carsten Aanonsen, Ove Rishøj Jensen. Production companies: Mouka Filmi. Co-production companies: Autoimages, Indie Film. Synopsis: The Beauty of Errors is a portrait of a relationship between three generations and how it shifts between the search for closeness, understanding and acceptance, as the teenage son steps closer to adulthood.
- Women Named Pauliina (USA, Finland) by Pauliina Punkki. Producers: Essi Haukkamaa, Veronika Janatková, Pauliina Punkki. Production companies: Aallotar Productions, Pandistan, Ida Productions. Synopsis: Women named Pauliina is a profound exploration of identity and resilience through the intertwined lives of bodybuilder Pauliina Talus and filmmaker Pauliina Punkki. Set against a rich cultural, historical, political, and social backdrop, the film scrutinises how women are defined by their appearances and societal roles.
Series
- Operation Fake (Finland) by Kimmo Leed. Producers: Miira Karhula, Suvi Salokoski. Production company: Warner Bros. International Television Production. Operation Fake is an art documentary series with a true crime twist. The series explores the topic through four themes: organized crime, the art market, art institutions, and the cultural heritage of visual art. It highlights the importance of protecting the cultural heritage of all nations in the world where new technology enables increasingly sophisticated forgeries.
Click here to see the full programme of FFA 2024.
