Tell us more about your project. How did you gravitate to this subject, and what is the work about?
Before applying to Kehittämö, I had already been working on the first draft of the film’s screenplay in Aalto University’s feature film script writing course. In the film, I focus on the relationship between a child and a parent, reflecting on what we carry with us and how it shapes the way we love. My film explores the world from the perspective of a child protagonist. Adult behaviour seems unpredictable to the child and they are forced to take responsibility for matters that a child of their age should not be forced to carry.
As a screenwriter, I hope to represent the working class through the art of film. I want to be completely honest about what inspires me, even if it’s crude or tasteless. I write about brokenness as I experience it. Working like this has been a wonderful experience.
You have written several plays. When did you realise that this idea was destined to become a feature-length film?
For some reason, it never once occurred to me to adapt this story for the stage. I view the film ‘Kesämaa’ strongly through lights and shadows. Its content appears to me as powerful images, moods and tormenting scenes, and film as an art form serves all these. A visual novel could also capture the essence of this story, and I often draw while writing the script. I feel that I need to focus on the close-ups of this story rather than the width of the whole stage.
I hope that my work will bring together the structured way of writing a film with the spontaneity of theatre. I graduated as an actress from the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki, and I believe this has been a great help in creating characters and recognising dramatic situations. I love subtext in dialogue and I’m not afraid to create characters with strong personalities. What interests me most about my film is what is left unsaid. When writing the script, I try to trust the viewer’s ability to interpret the text and leave them room to do so. If something can be shown through acting, I won’t include it in the dialogue.
What kind of themes and topics do you deal with in your work?
In this film I explore the end of childhood. I find the fleeting nature of childhood heartbreaking. No one can choose their birth family, and for the lucky ones, the unique innocence of childhood lasts longer.
As the events of the film unfold, my main character finds themselves at a turning point in their life. I want to explore this turning point more closely and study the related pressure points. There are certain things the protagonist would prefer to turn a blind eye to, but which they must still face. I want to create non-elitist content that people can easily relate to.
What do you hope for from the Kehittämö programme, and what do you want to develop in your project?
Being part of the Kehittämö programme with this film, in particular, is fantastic. Kesämaa is my passion project, and I love working on it and losing myself in its world.
My mentor, Karol Griffiths, is extremely skilled at her job, and it is an honour to work with her. My producers, Pauliina Maus and Kaarle Aho, are also supporting the development of this film in a wonderful way, and I don’t feel like I’m alone in this process.
By participating in Kehittämö, I hope to refine my own voice as a screenwriter and to bring out the very best and most haunting aspects of this particular film.
Interviewer: Ella Jaakkola
Photo: Riitta Supperi