FILM-MAKING AS A SMALL ENTERPRISE (SEMINAR)

Elokuvan pienyrittäjyys -seminaari. Organized by the cultural cooperative Kronoptikon / Martti-Tapio Kuuskoski. At Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 22 Nov 2008.
Mr. Martti-Tapio Kuuskoski, moderator
Mr. Anssi Mänttäri, film director and producer
Mr. Rostislav Aalto, film director and producer
Ms. Sonja Lindén, film director and producer
Mr. Aku Alanen, economist, researcher
An interesting three and a half hours on film-making as a small enterprise. 95% of the Finnish film companies are small enterprises. Mr. Aalto commented that until the 1990s Finnish documentaries were internationally highly regarded, but now since the financers no longer support 35mm, the visual quality is down, except Pirjo Honkasalo. Excerpts included:
Mongolialainen iltapäivä [A Mongolian Afternoon]. FI 2008. D: Rostislav Aalto. The sequence of the slaughter of a lamb.
Ei kukaan ole saari [No Man Is an Island]. FI 2006. D: Sonja Lindén. Shot on S-16mm, projected on Digibeta. The last 20 min of the 40 min film. My first encounter with the work of Sonja Lindén, I was impressed by the feeling for nature (Saimaa?) and the theme of the old man (her father) facing imminent death.

Cleaning Up! (2001) (in person: Rostislav Aalto)

Rostislav Aalto: Cleaning Up! (FI 2001).

Cleaning Up! / Cleaning Up! FI 2001. PC: Cube Oy, Zen Media. P: Heikki Niinimäki. D+SC+DP: Rostislav Aalto – shot on DV-CAM – distributed on 35 mm film prints. ASS-D: Mikko Keinonen. M: Cleaning Women. S-ED on tour: Jari Laakkonen, Teemu Kotila, Svetlana Terentjev. ED: Kimmo Kohtamäki. S: Rostislav Aalto. S-DES: Timo Kinnunen (also S-postprod). Photographs: Inka Kovanen. FEAT: Cleaning Women: Risto Puurunen, Timo Kinnunen, Tero Vänttinen = CW 01, CW02, CW03. Manager: Mikko Keinonen. 79 min. A SES print with English subtitles (print number one) at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 21 Nov 2008. Introduced by Rostislav Aalto, presented by Martti-Tapio Kuuskoski. - The print looks good, considering that it was shot on DV-CAM. – A tour documentary of the Finnish band Cleaning Women, who play with special instruments built from cleaning equipment, the guys dressed as ladies. – The music is good, and the film sounds good. – The strange encounters of the band touring in Petersburg, Moscow, Tartu, the Baltic countries, and Poland. – I saw the first 45 min, having to move to the Filmihullu magazine 40th / Risto Jarva society 30th annivarsary party at Dubrovnik.