Rake Special: Grand Old Man

Through documentaries, the Rake Special screening opens a door to 20th century Finland.

Rake Special is dedicated to Matti Kassila (1924–2018), Risto Jarva (1934–1977), Jaakko Pakkasvirta (1934–2018) and Antti Peippo (1934–1989). The screening consists of four landmark works, each director’s best short documentaries.

Language: Fin Duration: 98 min Age Limit: For All Ages

  • Mustavalkoinen kuva, jossa kaksi vanhaa naista istuvat mustissa vaatteissa.

    Kolmen kaupungin kasvot: Tampere

    The Faces of Three Cities: Tampere
    Director: Matti Kassila
    Country: Finland
    Year: 1962
    Genre: Documentary
    Duration: 31 min
    Age Limit:

    The narrative of Matti Kassila’s (1924–2018) Tampere episode of Kolmen kaupungin kasvot gracefully captures the faces and distinctive features of Tampere in the summer of 1961, weaving together delightful anecdotes and expressive details. Kassila constructed his splendid documentary in the form of drama: the drama of water, the drama of factories, the drama of the masses in 1918, the drama of genders and the drama within individuals. The episode focuses heavily on the women of Tampere. After all, in 1961, there were about 13,000 more women than men living in Tampere. Working on the Tampere episode filled Kassila with great enthusiasm.

  • Mustavalkokuva, jossa retrohenkisiin vaatteisiin pukeutuneet naiset seisovat kadulla.

    Nainen ja yhteiskunta

    Woman and Society
    Director: Risto Jarva
    Country: Finland
    Year: 1968
    Genre: Documentary
    Duration: 29 min
    Age Limit:

    Risto Jarva’s (1934–1977) short film masterpiece from the late 1960s challenged the debate on roles and lack of gender equality in Finnish society. The cleverly selected topic focuses on prevailing attitudes, to the point of ironic exaggeration of opinions. Women portrayed strictly as objects and tools of commercialism. The roles of predators and prey in the final scene at the Linnanmäki amusement park. Nainen ja yhteiskunta is one of Jarva’s finest short films and a demonstration of the high quality of the production company Filminor.

  • Mustavalkoinen kuva, jossa poolopaitaan pukeutunut nuori mies pitelee vanhanaikaista mikrofonia kädessään.

    Eläköön nuoruus!

    Long Live Youth!
    Director: Jaakko Pakkasvirta
    Country: Finland
    Year: 1968
    Genre: Documentary
    Duration: 17 min
    Age Limit:

    The year 1968 has been called by many names, including the year of the cultural revolution and the year of crazy youth. Jaakko Pakkasvirta (1934–2018) immersed himself in the topic in his informational film, Eläköön nuoruus!, created under Filminor and Postisäästöpankki. The film offers glimpses of the problems faced by the youth of the time from the young people’s own perspective. The music was composed by Otto Donner and performed by one of the popular bands of the era, Blues Section, starring Jim Pembroke. “If the youth could have their way, they would turn this whole culture upside down.”

  • Mustavalkokuva, jossa aikuinen keinuu selin kameraan ja pitelee lasta, joka istuu kasvot kameraan päin.

    Sijainen

    Proxy
    Director: Antti Peippo
    Country: Finland
    Year: 1989
    Genre: Documentary
    Duration: 25 min
    Age Limit:

    The journey of Antti Peippo (1934–1989) through the first seven years of his life, his psychoanalytic exploration of his childhood and the traumatic wartime, which left its mark on the nation’s memory. The emotions stirred by the war, collective guilt and responsibility were reflected in family relationships. As the nation suffered, so did the individuals. The film studies the relationship between a community and its member, of how national traumas can manifest in a person. The film won the Main Prize in the National Competition and the Risto Jarva Award in Tampere in 1989.