For her latest film, Finnish director Sanna Liinamaa collaborates with her cousin Nikke, who sees and expresses the world differently, much of the time via the medium of drawing.
Nikke has Down’s Syndrome, but the film is not a biography, producer Jorma Kaulanen underlines, rather “an associative trip into [his] inner and outer world.” In the film his Brain (a character in its own right) jumps out of his skull and sets off on an adventure through an animated world. “It is a world Nikke intuitively creates each day, like a visual diary,” says Kaulanen.
In the creative hybrid doc, Brain’s journey passes through fantasies and happiness, into the depths of anger and depression, before returning to the light, the synopsis reads.
“Nikke’s Down’s Syndrome is not at the centre of the film, but it is part of his background and influences the way he sees and expresses the world,” the producer points out. “The film combines documentary and animation. It is a visual, emotional and playful journey into the human mind.”
The project is in the very early stages of development and has so far received development funding from the Finnish Film Foundation. “We have not yet approached other financiers, but we [presented] the project at Nordisk Panorama Forum and later at Finnish Film Affair, hoping to spark interest in co-production and further financing.”
Director Sanna Liinamaa has 20+ years of experience in creative documentary and experimental storytelling, and has directed numerous films focusing on people on the margins. or belonging to minorities. Her latest film, Skeleton Dance(2024), which combines animation, butō dance and documentary, premiered at Dance Camera West in Hollywood. She holds an MA in Film Editing from Aalto University and has also studied anthropology, journalism, animation and natural sciences.
“Sanna’s strengths lie in her versatile background as a documentary director, animation artist and editor,” says Kaulanen. “The combination of these three areas is a major asset for this particular film. She moves fluently between real-life material, visual storytelling and narrative structure, allowing for a cohesive artistic vision from beginning to end. In addition, the film’s main subject is Sanna’s cousin. They share a warm and trusting relationship, which brings a rare closeness to the filmmaking process. This connection creates a natural collaboration and contributes to the film’s emotional depth and authenticity.”
The visual style is built on “a dialogue between two worlds: documentary-style, intimate footage and hand-drawn, imaginative animation,” Kaulenen underlines. The documentary scenes are calm and observational, filmed with a small camera crew using natural light, close to Nikke’s everyday life, and conveying “a sense of authenticity and presence.” The animated world, on the other hand, is entirely based on Nikke’s own drawings, and its style preserves his personal touch and ingenuity, the producer says. “The animation is created using 2D techniques, which bring the drawings to life while retaining their original expression. The film’s final scene is realized through stop-motion animation, adding a sense of physicality and a new kind of depth to the whole.”
Runaway Brain is still in development, with a mooted delivery date of Spring 2027. A satisfying takeaway from FFA would be to finding new collaborators who share director Liinamaa and producer Kaulenen’s passion for the project, especially in terms of international distribution and co-production opportunities. “We also hope to receive feedback that helps us refine the film’s narrative and visual style. Above all, we want to spark interest in the story and in Nikke’s unique world,” Kaulenen stresses.
“An impact campaign has not yet been planned, but themes such as self-expression, communication through art, and different ways of perceiving reality are central to the film, and could serve as a strong foundation for a future campaign,” he signs off.
