"Frozen Land" and "Breaking Loose" team awarded State Film Award

Director Aku Louhimies thanks screenwriters in acceptance speech

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The State Film Award 2005 was awarded on Wednesday to a three-man team - director Aku Louhimies, editor Samu Heikkilä and cinematographer Rauno Ronkainen - behind the TV-series Irtiottoja (Breaking Loose, 2003) and the film Paha maa (Frozen Land, 2005).
      The aim of the acknowledgement was to emphasise the collective nature of the cinematic art form.
      "It would be advisable to favour teams and pairs in the future as well", signalled Ministry of Education director of Culture and Media Division Jukka Liedes while awarding the prize.
      The chosen works are exceptional, the prize committee argued. "They accept the characteristics of the art form, but also test its limits."
      The prize awarded by the State Film Award Committee is worth EUR 15,000.
     
Presumably this was also the first time that makers of a TV-series were recognised by the State Film Award Committee.
      According to the chairman of the committee Jukka-Pekka Laakso, that was not considered a problem while deciding on the winners.
      "What is presented on television can also be considered film art", he explained.
      Interestingly the screenwriters of the film or the TV-series were not included in the awarded team. This is particularly noteworthy since director Louhimies is currently in the middle of a turbulent feud with Veli-Pekka Hänninen, the screenwriter of his next film.
      According to Hänninen, his original screenplay has been altered too much, as a result of which he has disengaged himself from the entire production.
      The incident has raised questions over the role of the screenwriter.
      Aki Louhimies also noticed the absence of the writers and in his acceptance speech he wanted to "remember them as well".
      "I believe in the kind of cooperation where everyone will stick together until the bitter end", he announced.
     
According to Jukka-Pekka Laakso, the absence of the writers is explained by the fact that the TV-series and the film in question were written by separate teams. The three prize-winners, in turn, were involved in both productions.
      Frozen Land has also been recognised on the international film scene. The latest award came on Tuesday when the film received the main prize at the Bergen Film Festival in Norway.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  "Frozen Land" to facilitate promotion of Finnish film exports (8.2.2005)

Links:
  Internet Movie Database: Paha maa

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