Maria Larssons eviga ögonblick

Ikuistetut hetket / Everlasting Moments. SE/DK/FI/NO/DE (c) 2008 Final Cut. P: Tero Kaukomaa, Christer Nilson, Thomas Stenderup. D: Jan Troell. SC: Niklas Rådström - based on a story by Agneta Ulfsäter-Troell and Jan Troell. DP: Mischa Gavrjusjov, Jan Troell - colour - 1,85:1 - digital intermediate: Digilab - printed on 35mm film. CAST: Maria Heiskanen (Maria Larsson), Mikael Persbrandt (Sigfrid Larsson), Jesper Christensen (Sebastian Pedersen), Emil Jensen (Englund), Ghita Nørby (Miss Fagerdal), Hans Henrik Clemensen (Mr. Fagerdal), Amanda Ooms (Matilda), Antti Reini (Captain), Birte Heribertsson (Aunt Tora), Claire Wikholm (Grandmother Karna), Hans Alfredson (prison guard). 133 min. Released in Finland by Sandrew with Finnish subtitles by Anitra Paukkula. Viewed at Maxim 2, 7 Nov 2008. - The digital intermediate look is shabby. - It is great to see Jan Troell (born 1931) in good form. He is a director who has always something to say. - This is a story of the power of photography (and cinematography, and art) to transform life, to open new horizons and perspectives. - "The images are taking hold". "They turn me to another being". "They reveal another world". "There is no turning back". "For always, for ever". - Storywise I like the film's portrayal of the everyday working life around WWI, the hard toil, the ascent of the workers' movement. It is naturalistic but not boring. But the imagery as filtered through the digital intermediate is not interesting to look at. It lacks the vibration of life. - The story takes place in Göteborg and in the neighbourhood. - There are the two men in Maria's life: the brutal Sigfrid, to whom she is faithful and whom she manages to transform (even though he has to go to prison after having tried to murder Maria). And there is the platonically friendly owner of the photographer's shop, Sebastian Pedersen, who encourages Maria to her new passion of photography. - Good visual ideas: the image of the butterfly reflected on Maria's hand via the camera lens. - Cinematography: Sebastian Pedersen shoots a newsreel of the three kings' meeting on the eve of WWI. There is a screening of Charles Chaplin's Easy Street with piano and violin accompaniment. [Jan Troell has a an interest in silent cinema representation but also a tendency to exaggerate overspeed, also in Här har du ditt liv.] - A story about art transcending and transforming life.

Neljä miljardia silmänräpäystä

Jaakko Pyhälä: Neljä miljardia silmänräpäystä (FI 1980).

Fyra miljarder ögonblick / [Four Billion Blinks of an Eye]. 

    FI 1980. First transmitted in 1981. PC: Yleisradio TV2 Teatteritoimitus. 

    P+D+ED: Jaakko Pyhälä. SC: Jukka Asikainen, Antti Hytti, Jaakko Pyhälä. CIN: Kalervo Katajavuori, Jaakko Pyhälä, Tahvo Hirvonen - 16 mm - colour - Eastmancolor 7247. 

    M: Antti Hytti. Performed by: Juhani Aaltonen (flute), Toni Edelmann (piano, organ), Esko Heikkinen (trumpet), Antti Hytti (bass, piano, vocals, synthetizator), Jarmo Korhonen (bassoon), Esa-Pekka Salonen, Tero Sarikoski (percussions), Jone Takamäki (tenor sax), Hasse Walli (guitar), Veli-Pekka Bister, Sirpa Juvonen, Vesa Raiskinen, Pirkko Vartiainen (string quartet). 

    With Kari Väänänen, Eila Halonen, Pirkko Koskenniemi, Tauno Lehtihalmes, Raimo O. Niemi, Raila Leppäkoski, Jaakko Talaskivi, Markku Toikka, Timo Torikka, Pekka Ojamaa, Ari Piispa, Jukka Asikainen, Arto af Hällström, Pertti Lumirae, Heikki-Tapio Partanen, Eero Tuomikoski, Kari Paukkunen, Petri Aalto, Pentti Asikainen, Pekka Bogel, Matti Kuortti, Kyösti Mankamo, Markku Laakso, Jami Laine, Helena Luukkonen, Lotta Myllymäki, Ari Rauhanen, Sari Rauhanen, Lyyli Kauhanen, Ida Kurki, Heidi Pirkola, Aune Toivonen, Ritva Torvinen, Mari Ahola, Minna Ahola, Dina Enberg, Raimo Holmgren, Kira Kaipiainen, Timo Laakkonen, Petri Kaipiainen, Kalle Kultala. 

    74 min

    Viewed at Suomen elokuva-arkisto, Orion, Helsinki, 15 October, 2008.

A bad, faded 16 mm print of 72 min.

An essay film about photography. A film of Godardian inspiration, totally original. Starts with a quotation from Kafka. - Chinese delegation in Finland. - Photography is an intrusion to privacy. - A funeral: each journey to eternity is immortalized. In each funeral there is always somebody whom nobody knows.

Kari Väänänen as a mumbling, confused, slacker kind of guy in his debut film, even spaced out. His task: to organize the archives of a photographer who has committed suicide. - The Laterna Magica. - Early cinema (Lumière: Debarquement du Congrès des photographes à Lyon), at overspeed. - Väänänen's girlfriend in beautiful nude scenes. - A parodic tv panel. Väänänen's day work as an assistent at a tv studio. Documentary value in the tv segment. - I could not confess to anyone that I did not understand anything. I dreamt that I was late and arrived at an empty stadium. - The National Museum: it is not allowed to have a conversation with the museum objects. - The piano has already been taken. - The cry of the crow. - Gavrilo Princip and the role of the photographer in WWI. The clown of history. Four billion blinks of an eye. The fleeting moment as the image of eternity. Behave or I'll photograph you out of history. A break of the information flow for half a year. The books of the Alexandria library were used to heat baths. - A bear looks clumsy but it's fast and strong. - The death of a tv journalist. A rainy night. The images of the magic lantern of an angel and grief at the grave. - Interesting montages. Interesting music, from modern concert music to jazz.

Lively discussion about the film after the show, this film would deserve to be made better available.