Japanese

Finnish Sauna and Film



The sauna, essential to the daily life of people in Finland, is a space for communication with parallels to Japanese bathhouse and hot spring culture. In commemoration of 100 years of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan, a sauna will be set up for the enjoyment of film festival attendees, and two Finnish documentaries will be shown— in Yamagata, land of hot springs.

Dates: October 12 (Sat) 13 (Sun) (Changed) –15 (Tue)
Venues: Square in front of Yamagata Citizens’ Hall (Sauna / Free Admission), Solaris 1 (Films)


Steam of Life

Miesten vuoro

FINLAND / 2010 / Finnish / Color / DCP / 81 min

Directors, Script: Joonas Berghäll, Mika Hotakainen
Photography: Heikki Färm, Jani Kumpulainen
Editing: Timo Peltola
Music: Jonas Bohlin
Producer: Joonas Berghäll
Production Company: Oktober Oy
Source: Uplink, kinologue

Finland: a country of three million saunas for five and a half million people. This film paints a picture of the saunas without which life could not work—where long-term couples, fathers and sons, friends and co-workers come to talk. Some are made for the home, while some take the shape of a phone booth. The sauna in all its uniqueness, on view against the beauty of each of the four seasons, takes center stage in this film.



Entrepreneur

Yrittäjä

FINLAND / 2018 / Finnish, English, Chinese / Color / DCP / 77 min

Director, Script: Virpi Suutari
Photography: Heikki Färm
Editing: Jussi Rautaniemi
Music: Sanna Salmenkallio
Producers: Joonas Berghäll, Satu Majava
Production Company: Oktober Oy
World Sales: CAT&Docs

Revolutionizing Finland’s dietary habits through the development of new plant-based proteins, this film centers on two ambitious female entrepreneurs who aim to develop this product for the Chinese market, alongside a family in the country who start a butcher truck and travelling carnival. With precise camerawork and a creative score, this film follows a changing society through the evolving shape of entrepreneurship in these two groups.