The Sámi-language historical drama ‘Je’vida’ received the top award for Finnish cinema in Helsinki
The Finnish film storyThe annual industry event organized alongside the Helsinki International Film Festival awarded the main prize on Thursday night to director Katja Gauriloff’s historical drama “Je’vida” about memory, survival and personal growth.
“Je’vida” was one of seven fiction works in progress that were presented to industry guests in Helsinki on September 22nd at Finnish Film Affairs’ showcase of local and regional projects. The jury stated that the winning film “is a story that needs to be told and has real potential to become relatable worldwide. The performance and cinematography felt personal, beautiful and visually impressive.”
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“Je’vida” produced by Joonas Berghäll of Oktober Oy is the first film shot in the Koltan Sámi language. It tells the story of an elderly woman who has abandoned her past under the pressure and wind of assimilation in three different time periods. The film is currently in post-production.
“The film is from a woman’s point of view, about a time in the post-war world when a strong policy of assimilation forced many Sami people to be ashamed of their background and abandon their language and culture,” Gauriloff said in a statement.
“By banning language, society broke the natural chain of generations and tore apart an already heavily oppressed people. The traumas I want to deal with through this film have moved from those times to the present.”
The international jury included Tribeca Film Festival programmer Jason Gutierrez, Curzon director of acquisitions Eleonora Pesci and Claire Willats, director of Netflix’s Film Nordics.
The trio also shared the award for the best Nordic project, which was chosen from among five feature films in the Nordic Choice category. This award went to “Natatorium,” a dramatic thriller that explores the dark secrets of a family matriarch that erupt into a tragedy no one could have foreseen.
The film, currently in post-production, is directed by Helena Stefáns Magneudóttir and produced by Sunna Guðnadóttir (Bjartsýn Films), Julia Elomäki (Tekele Productions) and Heather Millard (Silfurskjár). The jury stated: “This is a fascinating project that we would like to follow up and explore further. Despite having just started filming, the film already feels like it has a distinct, atmospheric tone and style that caught our attention.
The award for the best documentary project went to “The Last Chapter”, which was chosen from among nine documentaries shown on the stage of the historic Bio Rex cinema in Helsinki. The film, directed by Mohamed El Aboud (“School of Hope”) and produced by Kirsi Mattila (Icebreaker Productions), follows three Finnish immigrants who face the question of where and how they want to spend the last chapters of their lives.
“The project deals with complex and universal issues that are becoming more and more relevant and have not been addressed before. The jury felt very strongly about the director’s creative intent and believes that this award can help the project realize its potential,” said the jury, which included Pierre-Alexis Chevit, Director of Cannes Docs at the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival, Polly. McAlister, Sales Manager, TVF International, and Shane Smith, Artistic Director, Hot Docs.
Sponsored by the Finnish Film Foundation, Konstsamfundet and AVEK, the award is 3,000 euros ($2,950), which will be used for the international marketing of the project’s fiction and Nordic features, as well as the completion of the international trailer for the best documentary project.
Other projects causing a stir in Helsinki this week are Pamela Tola’s fiction films “The Worst Idea Ever”, Selma Vilhusen’s “Four Little Adults” and Thea Hvistendahl’s “Handling the Undead” and the documentary “Start Me Up”. directed by Helena Hyvärinen.
The 11th annual Finnish Film Affare event, which ended on Thursday evening with an award ceremony followed by a traditional Finnish sauna, welcomed nearly 500 guests from more than 20 countries, a third of which were international guests and buyers.
“Compared to our previous non-hybrid version in 2019, our number of participants has increased by 25 percent. It really shows the strength and appeal of both the local industry and our event,” says Maria Pirkkalainen, director of Finnish film cooperation.
The 35th Helsinki International Film Festival — Love & Anarchy will be held September 15-25.
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