10-06-2012

GRANTS: Finland Funds Six Films

By FNE Staff

    HELSINKI: The Finnish Film Foundation (www.ses.fi) awarded over 1.6 million euros in funding for six feature films in the May grants round, and an additional 675,000 euros funding for one feature film in the April grants round.

    The following films received funding:

    ABOVE DARK WATERS (TUMMAN VEDEN PÄÄLLÄ)

    The movie, based on the novel with the same title by actor Peter Franzén, is a touching and sensitive story of a growth in northern Finland. A small boy opens his eyes in the morning, astonished by the sunlight. The family life is as usual; meals together, playing with siblings and other kids. Everything appears to be familiar, almost idyllic. But the boy starts to hear noises during the nights; arguments and crying. The father disappears, the mother takes the kids to the grandparents' house. The child trusts his parents, unconditionally, admiring their wisdom and experience, full of hope and faith to the future. But what happens to the child when this image breaks? When the threats and fear become a daily routine?

    "Above Dark Waters" is a sensitive but simultaneously hilarious story. Franzén captures the view of the world of a child with great detail; the story involves small observations, feelings, smells - and eventually evolves to a great drama where the childhood is no more what it was supposed to be.

    Peter Franzén finds the difference between relevant and irrelevant; he builds drama from the unpredictable events and details. The movie, just as the book, is a part of the great Finnish tradition of stories of childhood and growth.

    Director: Peter Franzén
    Script: Peter Franzén
    Producers: Markus Selin, Jukka Helle
    Cinematography: Hena Bolmberg
    Shooting schedule: August 2012, January 2013
    Distribution in Finland: Oy Nordisk Film AB
    Budget: 1 490 000,00 €
    Total support of the Finnish Film Foundation: 630 000 EUR
    Production company: Solar Films Inc

    THE ONLY ONES (NE AINOAT OIKEAT)

    The Only Ones is a romantic comedy about a woman who finally finds her Only One, but then the man mysteriously disappears. But then she finds the second Only One, who also happens to be the Prime Minister of Finland.

    Director: Saara Cantell
    Script: Outi Keskevaari
    Producer: Jarkko Hentula
    Shooting schedule: 09-10/2012 and 12/2012
    Premiere: 25.12.2013
    Distribution in Finland: Oy Nordisk Film AB
    Financing TV company: MTV 3
    Budget: 1 490 000,00 €
    Total support of the Finnish Film Foundation: 700 000,00 €
    Production company: Yellow Film & TV

    CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN MEN (MIESTEN VÄLISIÄ KESKUSTELUJA)

    After eight successful satiric novels about Finnish politicians and cultural life Kari Mairisaari quit writing his ninth novel about the True Finns party members. Instead he starts writing a book about bus mechanic. Not just about an average handyman, but Vlatkosta. A 36-year-old Croat, from Espoo city traffic worker, which one day is picked up to answer war crimes charges.

    Mairisaari has been following a Rwanda genocide trial at Porvoo city court and he's concerned about the questions, "Doesn't 15 years deacent life pays anything back? "And" What a young man feels after taking another person's life?"

    Writing a novel is a serious challenge to Mairisaari. Could he walk the path where he has to relearn how to navigate through and to put at risk all what he has so far achieved? Does he have courage to create art that has a real meaning for himself and for the reader.

    Director: Jarmo Lampela
    Shooting schedule: 10.3.2010-3.3.2011
    Premiere: Autumn 2012
    Distribution in Finland: Pirkanmaa Film Centre
    Total support of the Finnish Film Foundation: 25 900,00 €
    Production company: Vegetarian Films

    PIONEER

    The country gains confidence as it fights to secure its riches. Professional diver Peder is obsessed about reaching the bottom of the Norwegian Sea. Along with his brother Knut, he has the discipline, strength and daring necessary for the world's most dangerous job. A test dive to below 500 meters is compared to Norway's moon landing, and shall convince sceptics that laying a pipeline to the mainland is possible. For Peder, the question isn't whether it's feasible, but who'll take part. Then a tragic accident changes everything, and sends Peder on a journey where he gradually loses sight of who's pulling which strings.

    Director: Erik Skjoldbjærg
    Script: Hans Gunnarsson, Cathinka Nicolaysen, Kathrine Valen Zeiner
    Shooting schedule: 1.9.-15.12.2012
    Premiere: 10/2013
    Distribution in Finland: Oy Nordisk Film AB
    Financing TV companies: NRK, SVT, ZDF
    World sales: TrustNordisk
    Budget: 5 555 559,00 €
    Total support of the Finnish Film Foundation: 150 000,00 €
    Production company: Friland Produksjon AS (Norway)
    Co-production company: Matila Röhr Nordisk Oy (Finland)

    DETECTIVE OFFICE LASSEMAJA - THE SEVEN WONDERS (LASSEMAJAS DETEKTIVBYRÅ - DE SJU UNDERVERKEN)

    Lasse and Maija have decided to take some time off from their detective duties and go on a holiday. Nevertheless they end up in the middle of strange events. The lady Lilly Sparvén arrives in Valleby and has her seven diamonds with her. After many incidents Lasse and Maija are accused for beeing responsible of the diamond's disappearance. Now the holiday has to wait so Lasse and Maija can find who the real diamond thief is.

    Director: Valter Söderlund
    Script: Peter Arrhenius
    Shooting schedule: September-October 2012
    Premiere: Autumn 2013
    Distribution in Finland: FS Film Oy
    Financing TV company: SVT, MTV3
    Budget: 1 387 000,00 €
    Total support of the Finnish Film Foundation: 100 000,00 €
    Production company: AB Svensk Filmindustri (Sweden)
    Co-production company: Kinoproduction Oy (Finland)

    KEKKONEN

    "Berries grow faster, animals bow, the sick are healed, the poor get wealthy and women conceive. All dreams come true where Kekkonen treads."

    Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, the long-time president of the Republic of Finland, is scheduled to visit Alli's Bar on his way to northern Finland. He is blindly worshiped and the nearer the visit draws, the more envy, competition and dirty tricks we see in a small town. No one is spared the brutality!

    Director: Marja Pyykkö
    Script: Elias Koskimies (based on a novel by Pia Pesonen)
    Shooting schedule: August-September 2012
    Premiere: Autumn 2013
    Distribution in Finland: Oy Nordisk Film Ab
    Total support of the Finnish Film Foundation: 675 000,00 €
    Production company: Solar Films Inc.