Unity makes strength! Land in Focus, Package Deals, Scala Forever and Rich Mix join forces for this highly exceptional night under the Finnish denominator!
In the spirit of Scala’s knack for experimentation, we were hosting NYC-based Package Deals’ collection of the most original Finnish shorts, video art and music videos alongside sensational music performances in East London’s vibrant Rich Mix.
Suomi: Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu – what lies in the urban centers of the off-the-radar yet historically rich Nordic nation of Finland? We ventured there and encounter freak folk, heavy metal, contemporary art, new media, salmiakki, reindeer, and perhaps even a Sami or two. Package Deals travelled across Finland to source the latest in its ongoing instalment of geographically-curated cinematic gems and Land in Focus brought them to you right here in London. Package Deals: Finland toasted the freshest in Finnish film, video art, and music videos. It was a perfect package connecting the best of visuals and music under the Finnish denominator, offering a bit of everything, from experimental film to animation.
Package Deals: Finland premiered in New York City in June 2010 and has been on a world 
tour ever since. We hosted the London premiere in collaboration with arts centre Rich Mix as part of Scala Forever, ‘a season of films and events reliving the Scala Cinema’s programming history and celebrating the current repertory film scene in London’. www.scalaforever.co.uk
This event was supported by the Embassy of Finland in London
Film programme:
Evolutions Dir. Jani Ruscica / Finland / 2008 / S16mm film transferred to digital beta and HD / 18:20 mins
The young main characters of Evolutions are in a film studio, defining their worldviews. The studio is portrayed as a stage-like space, unrestricted by time and place, and it provides an opportunity to reconstruct past worlds, memories and mental images. Time, on the other hand, is seen as a strongly subjective experience, as the lives of the young people are intertwined with signposts of evolution. Simultaneously, religious and mythological imageries are linked and become part of this complex whole that reveals how images and stories, both scientific and mythical, have made our world more comprehensible to us.
Eleanoora Rosenholm: Ambulanssikuskitar Dir: Pete Veljalainen / Finland / 2008 / Video / 4:55 mins
Music video – grand prize winner at Oulu Music Video Festival 2009
GIG Dir. Liisa Lounila / Finland / 2007 / Video / 3:36 mins
A three minute video of people attending a club gig by visual artist Lounila. Instead of the performance on the stage the attention focuses on club goers observing each other. The visual starting point for the work was baroque painter Caravaggio’s group scenes, with dark backgrounds and dramatically illuminated compositions of actors seemingly participating in something divine. As an addition to these the music for the piece was composed to echo Michael Nyman’s minimalistic soundtracks for Peter Greenaways films, to give a feeling of a staged costume drama, but with a hint of Indie rock to keep it connected with the actual happenings on the screen. The music is performed by a small classical chamber orchestra, set up for the piece.
Kiipeilypuu (The Climbing Tree) Dir. Jenni Rope / Finland / 2008 / Music: Paavoharju / Animation / 2:24 mins
Stop-motion animation by Helsinki-based illustrator and artist Jenni Rope.
Lau Nau: Painovoimaa, valoa. Dir. Sami Sänpäkkilä / Finland /2008 / Video / 5 mins
Freak folk music video
Under the Surface Dir. Veera Lehtola / Finland / 2009 / Video / 7 mins
Memories of one childhood summer around an abandoned swimming pool. Stunning student film from Turku Art Academy.
English Lessons Dirs. Sara Wahl, Niina Suominen, Lotta Rapeli, Samppa Kukkonen, Tommi Juutilainen, CHRZU, Reetta Neittaanmäki & Lauri Järvenpää / Findland / 2008 / Animation / 20 mins
An animated English language course that recycles a 1970s English audio course. In eight lessons one can learn, in addition to the English language, important things about studying, dynamics between the sexes, and money. Made collaboratively by eight different Finnish animators who have organized their own collective production company.
Zebra and Snake: The Colours Dir: Miikka Lommi / Finland / 2009 / Video, 4:09 mins
Music video. Honorable mention at Oulu Music Video Festival 2009
Lumikko (The Little Snow Animal) Dir. Miia Tervo / Finland / 2009 / Video/ 19 mins
Grand Prix winner of Tampere Film Festival’s International Competition. Based on a phone conversation with a young girl and Pekka Sauri in the radio program Yölinja. Lumikko is only the third Finnish film that has ever received the Grand Prix. Made when Tervo was a student at Aalto University, Helsinki.
Music
Dirty Fingernals: “This brother and sister duo hail from Finland and make sometimes scary, sometimes jauntily catchy synth-driven indie pop. They also have that special knack of mixing depressing, dark lyrical content with uplifting, fleeting lo-fi indie brilliance” – Stool Pigeon
Mikkokoo: unique and multifaceted artist Mikkokoo will make us blush with one of his occasionally chaotic and out of control performances, shamelessly blending burlesque, theatre, video and electro sounds.
“Mikkokoo is Finland’s answer to Klaus Nomi and Nico” - Jonny Slut. Nag Nag Nag
D’LASSO: After a classical music education the Finnish DJ ditched the flute for turntables and the Kuopio Conservatorioum for wild and naughty London raves in the early 90s. Since then, D’LASSO has mastered his electro style combining sounds ranging from groovy hip hop to deep house. On the night he will be mixing the funkiest beats to keep us moving till midnight!
