Book celebrates 100th anniversary of Finnish film
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Finnish cinema. The first Finnish fiction film, Salaviinanpolttajat ("Bootleggers") by Louis Sparre and Teuvo Puro premiered on May 29th, 1907.in Helsinki.
"Not even still pictures were preserved. Even the plot is only known on the basis of newspaper advertisements", says Sakari Toiviainen, 60, a researcher at the Finnish Film Archive. He started work at the archive in 1968, and is the longest-serving employee there.
To mark the centenary of Finnish film, he released a magnificent book Sata vuotta - sata elokuvaa ("One Hundred Years - One Hundred Films").
The moving image itself first came to Finland already in the summer of 1896, when films by the Lumière brothers were shown. The first actual cinemas were built at the beginning of the century.
Already before Salaviinanpolttajat, travel documentaries were made here as well. The first Finnish short documentaries are believed to have been produced in Finland in 1904.
An advertisement for Salaviinanpolttajat in Helsingin Sanomat on the day of the film's release reports that in the film, officials surprise a group of moonshiners at their still.
Toiviainen's book begins in 1920 with Ollin oppivuodet ("Olli's Apprenticeship"), directed by Teuvo Puro, which is the oldest Finnish feature-length film that has been completely preserved.
Toiviainen notes that Ollin oppivuodet was produced as a real movie, and it's production involved the best actors of the Finnish National Theatre. The premiere was attended by President Ståhlberg, the government, and members of the diplomatic corps.
Not all choices for Toiviainen's book were that easy. He sought to strike a balance so that the various decades and cinematic styles would be covered. If he had written the book based on his own preferences, certain types of Finnish comedy, including military farces and the Pekka Puupää series would not have been included.
"They are nevertheless important from the point of view of Finnish cinematic history, even though they are not my favourites."
Toiviainen includes four of the five films of Nyki Tapiovaara. He notes that not all viewers appreciate Kaksi Vihtoria (based on characters of the Bringing up Father comic strip by George McManus, but it is nevertheless one of Toiviainen's favourites.
About 1,000 feature-length fiction films have been produced in Finland, and most of them have been preserved. Only about 50 of them are unaccounted for.
"The most important gap is, naturally, the first three films of Teuvo Tulio, and all hope has not been given up on them. Fragments of them might still be found, as was the case with parts of Taistelu Heikkilän talosta ("The struggle for the Heikkilä House").
Although he is not exactly an objective observer, Toiviainen emphasises that without the Finnish Film Archive, there would be no history of Finnish cinema.
The Finnish Film Archive itself is celebrating its own 50th anniversary this year. Toiviainen notes that when he came to work at the archive there were just five people working there. "Personnel has increased tenfold during the 40 years that I have been here."
Toiviainen began to plan his book a few years ago. He originally wanted to make it a collection of articles by various authors. However, the Film Archive, and the Finnish Literature Society asked Toiviainen two write the work himself.
"I have written about many of the films before. What is most difficult is to limit the text to two pages. The book expanded a bit when the photo editor became excited."
The pictures for the book were collected by Kai Vase, a specialist at the Finnish Film Archive, who has produced impressive photo books of Finnish films.
Links:
Finnish Film Archive
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 15.5.2007 - TODAY |
Book celebrates 100th anniversary of Finnish film
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