Tell us more about your project. How did you gravitate to this subject, and what is the work about?
A, B, C and so on (“A niinku alusta”) is a youth film that follows three characters, two brothers and a girl they meet, over one summer weekend. 16-year-old Elina wants to lose her virginity, 18-year-old Tomi is obsessed with watching porn and 13-year-old Veli just wants to play forever.
I got the idea for this love triangle in an upper secondary school screenwriting class. I returned to it a few years ago for a screenwriting competition. Even though the project didn’t go further in the competition, the idea evolved a lot. Previously, the plot of the film revolved around another theme. Now I feel that the focus is on device addiction.
In my other work, I also deal with the impact of the media and the themes of addiction. Perhaps at the heart of my work is the experience of being seen. Fortunately, with the help of Kehittämö and my assigned mentor, I have the time and space to explore what’s most important to me in this particular story.
How do you approach the artistic process when you start working on your films?
I am primarily a screenwriter by training, so, for me, the process starts off with the story. Usually, the story comes to me in a fairly complete form. It’s stems from an interest in a subject, and I’m actively looking for a way to merge something very personal with something completely unexpected. At its best, writing can be like dancing or, in other words, getting into a flow state.
I’m interested in exploring how I can experience the same flow in directing a film when I’m working with a lot of people and things tend to be technical and practical in nature. In this respect, too, Kehittämö’s support is crucially important. I can write in peace as if I were already directing. I believe that I can learn a great deal about the relationship between writing and directing during the Kehittämö process.
Is there a filmmaker or work that has challenged or changed the way you think about film?
There are so many filmmakers and works that have influenced my own output. That said, in terms of what has challenged or changed my thinking about film, I’m going to answer with brutal honesty: making my own films. That’s genuinely where you learn the most. For example, when I directed a short film called Sukuloinen last year, I learned so much more than I would have by just watching other people work.
In general, collaborating with other creators opens up your thinking in a thrilling way. I appreciate colleagues who dare to be direct and express their views. And when the work is released, the process reveals even more insights. Emotions like shame and pride are my best teachers!
How do you see the importance of collaboration between director and producer when making a film?
In my experience, venturing into the unknown is successful when both the director and producer show trust in each other through actions both big and small. Reflecting on my own path, I find that I may have been nervous and afraid to show such trust.
Through my work, I’ve built up a healthy level of self-esteem in the field of creative work. I have found that if the producer sees tension in the director – or vice versa – effective ways to encourage the pair are to talk directly about fears and compliment each other, not forgetting to show gratitude on both sides.
Interviewer: Ella Jaakkola
Photo: Riitta Supperi
