The last Rake Special curated by the late Raimo "Rake" Silius. Playfully collected depictions of the romance of Finnish farm life from the 40's to today.
Language: Fin Duration: 92 min Age Limit: 7+
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Wed 5.3. -
15:00 -
Arthouse Cinema Niagara -
12,50
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WD14
- Buy ticket
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Sat 8.3.
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14:30
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Arthouse Cinema Niagara
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12,50
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ST95
- Buy ticket
This year’s Rake Special marks the end of an era. The curator and creator of the series, Raimo “Rake” Silius, passed away in November 2024. Rake had been curating these screenings since 1995, a full 30 years. He wrote about the series in The History of Tampere Film Festival (Tampereen elokuvajuhlien historiikki): “From the very beginning, Rake Special’s motto has been the words of Kyllikki Virolainen in Marja Pensala’s documentary film Keys to the Good Life: ‘If you want a good, balanced life, work. With your hands, but with your head, too – but most of all, work with your heart.’” Rake certainly lived by this motto. His passion for film didn’t go unnoticed by our audience, either: with few exceptions, every Rake Special has sold out.
As for myself, I can only guess what was going through Rake’s mind as he planned this screening. Knowing him I presume that every last detail was decided with a playful glimmer in his eye. Though proud to have been born in Kangasala, Rake was raised on the city streets of Tampere.
The screening includes some of Rake’s favourites: A Stone Left Unturned is a comedy about a father and son, whose bickering is escalated by a rock in a field; where Somebody To Dance With breathes nostalgia, Elsa takes gleeful jabs at romanticised notions of the countryside.
Widely knowledgeable on Finnish culture history and pop culture, Rake cared deeply about gems found in the archives. Laulu tunturille, a music-infused trip to nature, follows notable Finnish musicians Tapio Rautavaara and Reino Helismaa through the fjelds in the 1940s. Maaseudun tulevaisuus? and Forest Workers look at the structural changes facing Finland as it relied on land and forests for its welfare in the 70’s. These Boots, on the other hand, is Aki Kaurismäki’s mischievous interpretation of a piece of Finnish history.
The screening shows us scenes from the Finnish countryside throughout the decades in a smart and humorous way, and in doing that, also tells us something important about Rake himself.
Moro and thank you, Rake!
Riina Mikkonen
Tampere Film Festival
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Maaseudun tulevaisuus?
Director: Risto JarvaCountry: FinlandYear: 1970Genre: DocumentaryDuration: 25 minAge Limit:
"Finland is one of the richest countries in the world, yet it's also the northernmost agricultural nation in the world." Risto Jarva's outspoken short film's narration is visually lively and illustrative. It tackles a wide spectrum of problems from the point of view of the late 1960's. Increasing consumption and freedom, happiness and standard of living, unemployment, emigration, issues in the developing areas, foreign trade, the free market... As the film states: "The future of the countryside will be decided in the city."
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Laulu tunturille
Director: Aimo JäderholmCountry: FinlandYear: 1949Genre: DocumentaryDuration: 10 minAge Limit:
Aimo Jäderholm's musical short film about the winter landscapes of Northern Finland in the 1940's. "Go, go to the fjeld, go to Ylläs..." sing Repe Helismaa and Tapio Rautavaara, capturing the rare occasion of the two allowing a film camera to tag along during their private trip in mid-March of 1949. The film starts with an illustration accompanying Helismaa's Lähde, lähde tunturille (eng. 'Go, Go to the Fjeld') in possibly the only existing recording of the song.
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Metsurit
The Forest WorkersDirector: Erkko KivikoskiCountry: FinlandYear: 1979Genre: DocumentaryDuration: 7 minAge Limit:
Delving into the changes taking place in forestry, The Forest Workers has a strong message conveyed with pathos. It makes a clear-cut juxtaposition between traditional forestry and modern forestry technology. The Forest Workers is one of the most notable Finnish short films of the late 1970s.
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Kovat miehet
A Stone Left UnturnedDirector: Maarit LalliCountry: FinlandYear: 1999Genre: FictionDuration: 20 minAge Limit:
A warm-hearted tragicomedy about the delicate relationship between father and son. In a never-ending story with few words, an ancient stone at a farm field becomes a wall between two generations of sturdy, stubborn Finns. When it comes to expressing feelings between father and son, silence really can be golden. Best Fiction in the International Competition, Special Prize in the Finnish Competition and Prize of the Junior Jury at Tampere in 2000.
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Tanssikaveri
Somebody to Dance WithDirector: Lasse NaukkarinenCountry: FinlandYear: 1988Genre: FictionDuration: 5 minAge Limit:
A tango film about moonlight, a summer night, a slippery floor and a girl who could be a brunette or a blonde. The film is based on images from the film Kesäyön lapset (1956) and a tango performed by Vilho Vartiainen.
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Elonkorjuu
HarvestDirector: Sami KorjusCountry: FinlandYear: 2006Genre: FictionDuration: 15 minAge Limit:
For the longest time, Anja Huovinen (Kaija Pakarinen) has been putting up with her husband’s (Juuso Hirvikangas) drinking and slacking. But she has reached the limit. Elonkorjuu is a tragicomedy about what happens when a person stops being useful to anyone. The story is black and warm as freshly brewed Finnish coffee.
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These Boots
Director: Aki KaurismäkiCountry: FinlandYear: 1992Genre: FictionDuration: 5 minAge Limit:
The history of Finland 1952–69 as seen through the formative years of a Leningrad Cowboy.
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Elsa
Director: Marja PensalaCountry: FinlandYear: 1981Genre: FictionDuration: 5 minAge Limit:
Elsa is an excellent miniature film by Marja Pensala, a cinematic satire that parodies the enthusiastic ”return to nature” of the trendy green idealists of the early 1980’s. It also offers a poignant and fresh view on women’s position in our society. A perfectly timed short film that employs both co-ordinated and contrasted sounds and images.
