Hesari kirjoitti Yellow Filmin vähintäänkin kyseenalaisista työtavoista ja työntekijöiden kyykytyksestä 24.3.2024 julkaistussa artikkelissa. Juttua varten oli haastateltu iso liuta Yellowin entisiä ja nykyisiä työntekijöitä ja somessa on popsahdellut sittemmin erilaisia kannanottoja firman kanssa työskennelleiden kanssa. Itse olen saanut kuulla vastaavanlaista jo pidempään kollegoiltani. Kerrotaan karmeasta työnjohtamiskulttuurista, mahdottomista tavoitteista ja järkyttävistä paineista jotka ajavat alalla työskenteleviä hermoromahduksen partaalle, ylikin.
Aihe on tärkeä ja hyvä että on nostettu tämäkin kissa pöydälle. Tällä kuvitteellisella pöydällä onkin viime vuosina ollut kissaa jos jonkinmoista, #metoosta Louhimies-keissiin ja “Lindenin listaan” – ja yleisenä tietona alalla on, että paljon on myös pyyhitty pöydän alle – asioita ja henkilöitä joista olisi suotu puhuttavan.
Kaikki tämä taas on puolestaan osa alan muuttumista hitaasti intohimoprojektien ja auteur-etiikan temmellyskentästä ammatilliseksi työmaaksi. Euroopassa elokuva-ala on monissa maissa järkevöitynyt ja vakiintunut, mutta alan ainainen ongelma seuraa toki kaikkialle: alalle haluavia on entistä enemmän ja tarjonta ylittää moninkertaisesti kysynnän. Taistelu on raakaa ja vedessä on verta ja se vetää haita puoleensa. Väärin- ja hyväksikäyttötapaukset ovat valitettavasti vakiintunut osa alan narratiivia, oli sitten kyse henkisestä, taloudellisesta tai fyysisestä puolesta.
En tunne kovin tarkkaan elokuva-alan ammattiliittojen tilannetta Suomessa sillä en kuulu mihinkään näistä suoraan (mahdollisesti epäsuorasti tuotantoyhtiöni kautta). Olen kuitenkin saanut seurata läheltä Brittien elokuva-alan ammattilaisten toimintaa näissä väärinkäyttötapauksissa ja hattu nousee sille tehokkuudelle jota ammattiliitot (mm. BECTU, Writer’s Guild, GB Cine, DGA jne.) harjoittavat kun jäsenet nostavat äläkän väärinkäytösten vuoksi. Elokuva-alan johtoporras – tuottajat ja omistajat – myös kunnioittavat liittojen voimaa, sillä mustalle listalle päätyminen johtaa valtaviin ongelmiin jotka heijastuvat elintärkeisiin osiin tuotantoa kuten roolitukseen, rahoitukseen ja levitykseen. Ongelmatonta toki työ Briteissä ei tietenkään ole, mutta ainakin väärinkäyttäjät saavat osakseen seuraamuksia.
Ehkä jyrkempää asennetta liittojen suunnalta tarvitaan myös Suomessa jotta selkeiden väärinkäytösten seuraamukset saisivat väärinkäyttäjät miettimään kahdesti työskentelytapojaan. Suomalaiskansallisen tyypillistä on pieni lätkäisy ranteelle ja pian ollaan taas tekemässä samojen ihmisten kanssa samoilla työtavoilla samoja virheitä toistaen, eikä mitään ole opittu. Hyvää on, että media on ärhäkästi tarttumassa tapauksiin ja kirjoittaa melko suoraa puhetta sen enempää kumartelematta – lehdistövapauden ykkösmaana asiat kyllä tulevat esille – mutta eipä lehdistö tietenkään mitään korjausliikkeitä voi tehdä. Sen muutoksen on tultava alan sisältä ja avainasemassa tässä on nähdäkseni siirtyminen kohti entistä ammattimaisempaa elokuvatuotantokenttää.
Suomessa tehdään parhaillaan hartiavoimin ja nykyhallituksen vastustusyrityksistä huolimatta paljon töitä sen eteen, että meidät huomattaisiin kilpailukykyisenä elokuvatuotantomaana. Ammattitaitoa Suomesta on löytynyt jo pitkään – omakohtaisesti en ole Suomessa tehnyt kovin paljon, mutta joka kerta kun olen, olen hämmästellyt sitä ammattitaitoa jota elokuva- tai mainoskuvaussetistä löytyy, verrattuna moniin muihin maihin. Rahoittajatahoja on nykyään Elokuvasäätiön lisäksi joukko yksityisiä sijoitusrahoitteisia yhtiöitä ja organisaatioita, tuotantokannustimet tekevät maastamme kiinnostavan kohteen kuvaus- ja jälkituotantomaana ja osaavat tuotantopalveluja tarjoavat yritykset huolehtivat onnistuneesta kokemuksesta yhteistyön toteutuessa. Tämän lisäksi meidän pitäisi huolehtia myös alamme työntekijöiden yhdenvertaisesta ja arvostavasta kohtelusta ja siivota vuosikymmenten aikana vakiintuneita toimintatapoja joille nykyään ei ole enää tilaa jos halutaan luoda Suomesta todellinen elokuva- ja TV-tuotantomaa.
Uudistusten olisi lähdettävä sekä tuotantoyhtiöistä sisältä että ammattiliitoilta, ja myös alan koulutuksen tulisi edistää terveempää elokuva- ja TV-tuotantokulttuuria Suomessa ja kitkeä jo varhain vanhan malliset tekotavat ja -asenteet.
Muutenkin, elokuva-alan astuessa kansainvälisemmille näyttämöille, toivoisi kotimaisen lehdistön suhtautuvan tekijöihin myötämielisemmin – iänikuinen naljailu ja vähättely on perisuomalainen synti, mutta olisi joskus myös paikallaan oppia näkemään yritykset tehdä alaa tunnetuksi maailmalla myös positiivisen kautta – “maitojunalla kotiin Hollywoodista” on vähän liian turhan tutuksi käynyt tarina. Välillä olisi mukava lukea tarinoita rohkeudesta ja periksiantamattomuudesta elokuva- ja TV-alalta – urheilusivuilta näitä löytyy yhtenään, kulttuuripuolella niihin tekijöihin jotka pyrkivät kansainväliselle näyttämölle suhtaudutaan lähtökohtaisesti nihkeämmin.
Totta kai on otettava myös käsittelyyn maan sisältöjen rahoituskulttuuri. Taide- ja viihde-elokuvan ero on hakattu hyvin syvään Elokuvasäätiön peruskallioon ja moni ei uskalla haastaa järjestelmää. Rahoitus on toki rajattua ja kotimainen taide-elokuva ansaitsee tulla sekin huomioiduksi vaikkei se suurelle yleisölle olekaan tärkeää, mutta Elokuvasäätiön tulisi lähteä aina vaan entistä rohkeammin rahoittamaan ja kannustamaan suomalaisen elokuvan ja tekijöiden kansainvälistymistä. Tämä jos mikä tuo Suomeen ammattiosaamista, tunnettuutta maailmalla, tuotantoja ja sitä paljon puhuttua ja kovin kaivattua rahallista onnistumista. Elokuva-ala ei elä pelkillä hyvillä aikeilla ja kauniilla puheilla vaan tarvitaan rohkeutta lähteä viemään Suomea maailmalle – elokuva- ja TV-maana. Tekijät ja ammattitaito siihen löytyy kyllä, nyt on aika pyyhkiä vanhat pölyt pois, tuulettaa ummehtuneet ja vahingolliset tekotavat ja ajatusmallit ja ottaa rohkea askel kohti uutta aikaa suomalaisessa elokuva- ja TV-maailmassa.
Vielä viimeisenä huomiona haluan nostaa tikunnokkaan suomalaisille tyypillisen naapurikateuden, josta on päästävä eroon jos mielitään kilpailemaan F1-luokkaan, kansainvälisille kentille. Elokuvatuotantoyhtiöiden, elokuvantekijöiden ja eri palveluja tarjoavien yritysten on opittava hautaamaan sotakirveet ja ymmärtämään, että jokainen onnistuminen tuo mahdollisuuksia koko alalle. Vaikka kilpailutilanteessa jäisi kadun toisella puolella perustetun kiskan jalkoihin tällä kertaa, jo pelkästään se, että tuotanto putoaa Suomeen tarkoittaa että myös jatkossa tulee käymään näin, ja silloin myös sen oman kiskan ovi käy. Jos energia menee kränäämiseen, paskanpuhumiseen selkien takana ja kuvitteellisten vihollisuuksien löyhyttelyyn näinkin pienessä maassa, jokainen kioski jää ennen pitkää tyhjäksi.
Ugh, olen puhunut. Ja haluan vielä mainita että itse en tee eikä tätä myöten ole kovin syvää kokemusta suomalaisesta elokuvamaailmasta ja nämä kirjaamani ajatukset ovat lähinnä sivustaseuraajan kommentteja, joten olen valmis tulemaan korjatuksi myös jos olen puhunut puutaheinää tai tulkintani on täysin metsässä.
Welcome to this year’s Oscar Predictions for 2024! As always, I’ve endeavored to watch each film in every category. However, as I write this, there are still a few I’ve yet to see: Anatomy of a Fall, which I fully intend to catch before the ceremony; Four Daughters, which unfortunately may not be accessible before the Oscars anywhere; Godzilla Minus One, a film I regrettably missed in theaters and refuse to watch via a low-quality cam rip; and To Kill A Tiger, which is set to premiere on Netflix on the day of the Oscars. Additionally, several shorts such as Nai Nai and Wai Po, Ninety Five Senses, Our Uniform, The ABCs of Book Banning, and War Is Over have managed to evade my rather extensive efforts to watch them. However, despite these challenges, I’ve formed my opinions based on the 43 films—both shorts and features—that I’ve managed to watch.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the categories.
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Cillian Murphy as Robert J. Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer.
Honestly, I don’t see much competition in this category. Cillian Murphy‘s transformation into Oppenheimer was so powerful that even though Paul Giamatti‘s portrayal of Paul Hunham in The Holdovers may have had more heart, Murphy is likely to win over the Nolan fanboys and the more “serious” Oscar Academy members—and rightfully so. His performance was, if anything, larger than life, leaving other contenders like the self-indulgent Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein or the kind and friendly Jeffrey Wright as Thelonius “Monk” Ellison, who morphed into the streetwise badass writer Stagg R. Leigh, far behind.
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Robert Downey Junior as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.
I distinctly recall exiting Huhtamo church after enduring the three-hour runtime of Oppenheimer, seated on hard stone benches in the middle aisle, and being most surprised by Robert Downey Jr.‘s performance. His portrayal of Lewis Strauss was perhaps the furthest departure from the actual character one could imagine—the casting choice was undeniably unconventional. However, Downey Jr. managed to pull it off admirably, delivering a fine performance. I would be genuinely astonished if anyone else were to receive the award. Mark Ruffalo in Poor Things came off as a whiny character with no depth, while Ryan Gosling in Barbie was intentionally one-dimensional, though effective in his role. As for Robert De Niro, he seemed to be merely reprising his typical Robert De Niro persona, lacking any significant layers or complexity. The only potential challenger I could envision for RDJ is Sterling K. Brown, who delivered an excellent performance as the brother in American Fiction. However, even that scenario seems highly improbable in the grand scheme of things.
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Lily Gladstone as Molly Burkhart in Killers of the Flower Moon.
Lily Gladstone‘s portrayal of Mollie Burkhart in Killers of the Flower Moon marks the first significant “political” Oscar contender in this year’s competition. As a Native American actress, she emerged somewhat unexpectedly alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in the film. Her performance was executed with subtlety, touching authenticity, and a genuine heartfelt quality that made it unforgettable and irreplaceable.
However, there will undoubtedly be individuals who argue that when Gladstone eventually receives the Oscar, it will be perceived as politically motivated. Some may contend that Emma Stone, for her role as Bella Baxter in Poor Things, deserved the award instead. Yet, I disagree. While Stone is undoubtedly a phenomenal actress, and Poor Things is a commendable film from a uniquely talented director, her performance failed to truly draw me into the character’s heart; instead, it left me admiring her from a distance.
Then, there’s Sandra Hüller. If you’re in need of a foreign Oscar star, Sandra is the one to call. From Toni Erdmann to The Zone of Interest, her rigid posture and tightly restrained emotions have carried numerous films, undoubtedly deserving of Oscar recognition. However, as I write this, I have yet to see Anatomy of a Fall. Realistically, though, this is an American film award ceremony, and the likelihood of an Actress Oscar going to a German actress, unless they’re portraying a Nazi, is slim. Unfortunately, despite her deserving performances, her chances are relatively low.
As for Annette Bening, her presence in the lineup is perplexing. Nyad was a solid film, but Bening’s contribution did not particularly stand out. Similarly, Carey Mulligan‘s portrayal of Felicia Montealegre seemed to come and go, overshadowed—perhaps intentionally—by Bradley Cooper’s multifaceted involvement in Maestro, where he directed, wrote, produced, and starred.
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb in The Holdovers.
Predicting the winner in this category is considerably more challenging. Emily Blunt‘s portrayal of Kitty Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer fell short of delivering the powerful performance one might have expected, or perhaps more accurately, her character wasn’t written with the strength it deserved, leaving the field wide open for a fierce battle.
Though I thoroughly enjoyed Nyad, and believe Jodie Foster delivered a phenomenal performance, I believe the Oscar—and rightly so—will go to Da’Vine Joy Randolph. Her portrayal as the beating heart and moral compass in the endearing The Holdovers was simply exceptional.
ANIMATED FEATURE
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kent Powers and Justin K. Thompson.
Gone are the days when Pixar dominated this category, and I must say, I do miss those times. Nowadays, while Pixar consistently submits entries, their impact isn’t quite what it used to be. When I reflect on masterpieces like Wall-E, Up!, or Ratatouille, it’s evident that Pixar needs to find it’s way again.
This year’s Pixar entry, Elemental, directed by Peter Sohn, felt disappointingly bland and formulaic, catering to what Hollywood perceives as the preferences of today’s youth. However, amidst this mediocrity, we were fortunate to witness some exceptional films. The Boy and the Heron, though not on par with Studio Ghibli’s or Hayao Miyazaki‘s greatest works, was a captivating and visually stunning film. Similarly, Robot Dreams, directed by Pablo Berger, captivated audiences with its dialogue-free narrative and vibrant animation.
Representing the teenage experience this year is Nimona, directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane. Originating as a webcomic, it overcame numerous challenges to make its way onto the big screen. However, the undeniable winner this year is Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, helmed by the trio of Joaquim Dos Santos, Kent Powers, and Justin K. Thompson. This film dazzled audiences with its vibrant color palette and innovative animation techniques.
Despite its visual brilliance, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse falls short in its narrative, merely wrapping up the multiverse trope that has saturated both art and studio films in recent years. Whoever conceived the concept of the multiverse should perhaps acquaint themselves with basic quantum theories and quantum immortality before attempting to explore such complex concepts in film. Nonetheless, the public’s appetite for multiverse narratives seems insatiable, but hopefully, it’s a trend that will fade into obscurity sooner rather than later.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Hoyte van Hoytema, the cinematographer of Oppenheimer.
If you’re vying for a cinematography Oscar, it seems that black and white is still the winning formula. This age-old truth persists and is likely to hold true at this year’s Oscars as well. With all due respect to Hoyte van Hoytema, who undoubtedly deserves of the award for his work on Oppenheimer, some may argue that Robbie Ryan should be the recipient instead, considering his exceptional work on Poor Things. However, Ryan’s approach, though impressive, may be deemed too gimmicky to endure the test of time.
As for the other nominees, they face an uphill battle. Matthew Libatique‘s work in the nearly artful Maestro, Rodrigo Prieto‘s steadfast cinematography in Killers of the Flower Moon, and Edward Lachman’s joyful decisions in El Conde all deserve recognition in their own right. However, Van Hoytema’s overdue Oscar win is a foregone conclusion. His tragic snub for not even receiving a nomination for Interstellar will undoubtedly be rectified with this year’s victory.
COSTUME DESIGN
Jaqueline Durran, the costume designer of Barbie. Photo by Jeff Vespa/The Wrap.
Jaqueline Durran‘s work on Barbie emerges as a strong contender for the award in this category. However, the presence of Poor Things with its 11 Oscar nominations poses a significant challenge, particularly due to Holly Waddington‘s imaginative and captivating steampunk-inspired aesthetic, making it a fierce competitor against Barbie.
In any other year, I would have placed my bet on Janty Yates and Dave Crossman for Napoleon, given the historical dominance of period pieces in this category. However, the true competition now lies between Barbie and Poor Things. As for Ellen Mirojnick‘s work in Oppenheimer, it primarily features men in old suits, which may not be enough to secure a win. Similarly, Jacqueline West‘s costumes in Killers of the Flower Moon may have been meticulously researched but failed to leave a significant impact on cinema history.
DIRECTING
Christopher Nolan, the director of Oppenheimer. Getty Images.
Christopher Nolan has long been deserving of an Oscar, and it seems that this year, there’s little doubt about who will walk away with the statue. Oppenheimer was a bold and intelligently directed film, making significant decisions that could have easily derailed the entire project. Yet, Nolan’s vision remained steadfast and unique throughout its substantial runtime, leaving audiences in awe and yearning for more. Rather than sticking strictly to the source material, Nolan opted to thrust IMAX cameras right into the face of Cillian Murphy, trusting that it would be enough—and indeed, it was.
While all contenders for the Best Director title are undoubtedly deserving, Yorgos Lanthimos‘s Poor Things showcased his trademark quirkiness and creativity, while Jonathan Glazer‘s Zone of Interest managed to approach the age-old Nazi theme from a fresh and unsettling perspective—a notable achievement in itself. And, of course, any film by Martin Scorsese merits attention, with Killers of the Flower Moon being hailed among his best – a hail I personally may not join.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
Mstyslav Chernov, the director of 20 Days In Mariupol.
The documentary category at the Oscars often becomes a platform for politically charged narratives, and this year is no exception, particularly so. While I have yet to see Kaouther Ben Hania‘s Four Daughters and Nisha Pahuja‘s To Kill A Tiger, I doubt they stand a chance against Mstyslav Chernov‘s 20 Days In Mariupol, reminiscent of the impactful Five Broken Cameras from 2011, directed by Emad Burnad and Guy Davidi.
Eternal Memory, directed by Maite Alberdi, offers a deeply personal exploration of the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s—a topic that often resonates strongly in the Oscars race. Additionally, Matteo Garrone‘s Io Capitano brings forth the African hero-story of Bobi Wine, providing a much-needed African perspective to Oscar stage, particularly poignant given the current global climate. The vibrant African landscapes and lively music portrayed in these films offer a refreshing contrast to the otherwise somber themes prevalent in this year’s Documentary Films and International Features category.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
S. Leo Chang, the director of The Island In Between.
It’s a perennial mystery why the rights holders of Oscar-nominated shorts seem to guard their treasures as if they’re safeguarding something of immense value that spoils upon viewing. Every year, as an Oscar completionist, the frustration of trying to track down and watch these shorts is palpable. They’re incredibly elusive and hard to come by.
This year’s Documentary Shorts carry a potent political edge. The Barber Of Little Rock, directed by John Hoffman and Christine Turner, delves into the issue of black inequality in America, while S. Leo Chiang‘s The Island In Between brings the Taiwan-China crisis to the forefront, possibly exposing many to the issue in a format beyond the typical cold news reporting.
Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot‘s The Last Repair Shop offers a poignant exploration of an instrument repair shop, celebrating community work and craftsmanship in an era dominated by digitalization and disposable culture. However, Nai Nai & Wài Pó, directed by Sean Wang, and the intriguingly titled The ABCs of Book Burning, directed by Sheila Nevins, Trish Adlesic, and Nazenet Habtezghi, remain closely guarded secrets, especially for those of us living outside the US streaming service catalogs. It’s baffling why distributors believe that people will suddenly flock to find and watch these shorts after the Oscars— the time is now, or perhaps never, and unfortunately, for some of these, it seems to be the latter.
FILM EDITING
Jennifer Lame, the editor of Oppenheimer.
Having been closely involved in the editing process of numerous feature films, I’ve come to appreciate the elusive and complex nature of the art of editing. It’s a cerebral process that requires a deep understanding of the film’s narrative, as well as the technical aspects of manipulating filmed footage to achieve the most impactful outcome. A skilled editor must possess a keen sense of rhythm and pacing, along with the capacity to delve deep into the material at hand.
Despite—or perhaps because of—these complexities, determining what constitutes good editing can be challenging. It’s a category that demands a nuanced understanding and experience of the editing process, as the impact of editing may not always be immediately evident.
While I haven’t yet seen Anatomy Of A Fall, which earned Laurent Sénéchal a nomination for editing, the competition seems decidedly uneven this year. Jennifer Lame‘s work on Oppenheimer undoubtedly stands out, masterfully navigating its three-hour runtime. The only contender that comes close is Poor Things, edited by Yorgos Mavropsaridis, but even then, I find it difficult to believe the challenge is truly comparable, as the film at times felt lacking in direction and cohesion.
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Jonathan Glazer, the director of The Zone of Interest.
Every year, the International Feature Film category presents the most intriguing competition, showcasing a diverse array of foreign films not made entirely in the USA. This year has been particularly eventful for international cinema, with even Finland eagerly anticipating a nomination for Aki Kaurismäki‘s Fallen Leaves. However, despite its merits, it ultimately did not make the cut. Looking at the current lineup, I can’t help but feel that it was indeed snubbed.
Undoubtedly, films like Jonathan Glazer‘s The Zone of Interest (UK), Wim Wenders’Perfect Days (Japan), and J.A. Bayona‘s Society of the Snow (Spain) rightfully earned their places. However, one could argue whether Italy’s poignant survival story Io Capitano, directed by Matteo Garrone, or even Ilker Çatak‘s excellent reminder of why school, actuall, sucks, Teacher’s Lounge (Germany), couldn’t have made room for Fallen Leaves.
Speculation aside, the selection has been made, and each film in this category is undoubtedly worthy of recognition. While Io Capitano may raise questions, its exceptional craftsmanship and relevance in the midst of the refugee crisis make its inclusion well deserved.
Yet, in my view, The Zone of Interest stands as the undeniable frontrunner. Firstly, Nazi-themed films tend to dominate this category’s winners every year. Secondly, it offers a fresh and harrowing perspective on the subject matter, one that hasn’t been sufficiently explored. Lastly, it boasts superb acting and direction, with Sandra Hüller delivering a standout performance as Hedwig Höss, the wife of Rudof Höss, a key figure behind the Final Solution.
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell designed the makeup for Maestro.
In today’s Oscars, the makeup category often revolves around aging makeup, while hairstyling tends to spotlight films set in baroque or Victorian eras—although this year, the latter seems oddly absent. One glaring omission is Napoleon, which I would have expected to receive a nomination. Undoubtedly, this snub must have been a bitter pill to swallow.
I can certainly understand why Maestro, designed by Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou, and Lori McCoy-Bell, received a nod. Even without Bradley Cooper’s “nosegate” controversy, the aging makeup they crafted was remarkably believable. Similarly, Poor Things, with makeup by Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, and John Weston, undoubtedly involved a grueling but likely enjoyable design process. And let’s not forget the gruesomely realistic work by Ana Lopéz-Puigcerver, David Martí, and Montse Ribé on Society of the Snow.
However, I fail to see what made Luisa Abel‘s designs for Oppenheimer or Karen Hartley-Thomas, Suzi Battersby, and Ashra Kelly-Blue‘s work on Golda worthy of nominations. Personally, I would have challenged either of them in favor of Napoleon or even Nyad. Nevertheless, it seems like Maestro might have a rare chance to snatch an Oscar this year, so that’s where my bet would lie.
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Ludwig Göransson, the composer of Oppenheimer.
Having had the privilege of working closely with composers and witnessing their creative process, I understand the immense significance a nomination—and ultimately, a win—can hold for a composer. It’s a highly competitive field and navigating through it can be challenging, as everyone from the director to the least-involved executive producer often fancies themselves as a music critic. Thus, standing out with your originality is a monumental achievement.
While John Williams‘ nomination for the (otherwise) underwhelming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny may seem like a respectful nod to the grand old man of film music, the real competition lies between Ludwig Göransson‘s work on Oppenheimer and Jerskin Fendrix‘s quirky score for Poor Things. Göransson, who has already won an Oscar, appears to be the frontrunner this year, given the undeniable strength of his soundtrack for Oppenheimer. However, it’s worth noting that Fendrix may have his moment in the spotlight, especially considering the uniqueness of his work. Ultimately, in a year dominated by Oppenheimer, it’s highly likely that Göransson will take home the award.
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt composed and wrote the lyrics for the song “I’m Just Ken”, from the movie Barbie.
Original Score may not always be the most captivating category at the Oscars, but it certainly offers some entertainment during the gala and allows for the recognition of wild card entries, such as Eva Longoria‘s delightful corporate promo Flamin’ Hotm entering the competition with Diane Warren‘s song The Fire Inside. However, this year’s competition seems rather lackluster, as Mark Ronson‘s and Andrew Wyatt‘s “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie has captivated audiences and appears poised for victory.
That being said, Jon Baptiste‘s documentary American Symphony is certainly worth checking out, and the song “It Never Went Away,” performed by Jon Baptiste and Andrew Wilson, is a worthy contender. Although it may be a better song artistically, its lack of memetic value of “I’m Just A Ken”, which might hinder its chances of winning.
BEST PICTURE
Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan produced Oppenheimer.
The grand prize for the evening is divided among ten deserving contenders, each of which has earned their moment in the spotlight. However, none of them stand a chance against the brilliance of Oppenheimer, which will undoubtedly secure producers Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, and Christopher Nolan their well-deserved award. It’s a film that truly merits recognition, a bold gamble that paid off flawlessly—a testament to Nolan’s unwavering vision and meticulous execution. While Oppenheimer may not have been my personal favorite film of the year, I am undeniably awed by its sheer power and impact.
On a personal note, I tend to gravitate towards films like The Holdovers or The Zone of Interest. However, it’s clear that neither of them stands a real chance in the fiercely competitive field. The inclusion of Poor Things as a best picture contender, with its impressive 11 nominations, can be seen as a nod to the fresh perspective offered by director/producer Yorgos Lanthimos and producers Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, and Emma Stone. However, stripping away the steampunk aesthetic, Poor Things emerges as a quirky, well-directed film with intriguing ideas and performances, but it fails to leave a lasting impression on the larger cinematic landscape.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
James Price and Shoana Heath designed, and Zsuzsa Mihalek decorated the sets of Poor Things. Photo by Atsushi Nishijima Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.
One of the standout categories for me this year is production design, which encompasses sets, props, and overall visual aesthetic. Sarah Greenwood, alongside set decorator Katie Spencer, crafted the enchanting world of Barbie, captivating audiences around the globe. Jack Fisk, renowned for his collaborations with David Lynch and Terrence Malick, teamed up with set decorator Adam Willis to bring the tangible world of Killers of the Flower Moon to life on screen. Additionally, Arthur Max, with set decorator Elli Griff, astounded us with the masterful world-building in Ridley Scott‘s Napoleon (which, in my opinion, deserved more recognition in several categories!).
However, as is often the case this year, the real competition lies between James Price and Shoana Heath‘s design, set decorated by Zsuzsa Mihalek, in the steampunk, Victorian splendor of Poor Things, and Ruth De Jong‘s design, decorated by Claire Young, in Oppenheimer.
Who will emerge victorious in this category? My bet is on Poor Things. While Barbie also stands a chance, Poor Things has made a significant impact on the Academy’s choices this year. It seems fitting that they would receive recognition in production design, considering the film’s uniquely strange and captivating world, born from the imagination of a truly interesting mind.
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Tali Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter directed Letter To A Pig.
Animated shorts indeed pose a challenge when it comes to recognition. These little gems often offer profound, artistic narratives that can resonate with audiences for years. However, much like other short films, they are notoriously difficult to track down.
Of this year’s lineup, I managed to catch Tali Kantor‘s and Amit R. Gicelter‘s Letter To A Pig, as well as Stéphanié Clément‘s and Marc Rius‘s Pachyderme. Despite these promising entries, there are still many others that have eluded me. As a result, predicting the winner in this category feels like taking a shot in the dark.
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Wes Anderson, the director of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.
In yet another hard-to-find category, predictions become somewhat of a guessing game. However, Wes Anderson‘s and Steven Rales‘s star-studded short film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar stands out as a deserving contender for the win. This delightful film relies heavily on Anderson’s signature visual style and deadpan humor, making it a charming and effective short film.
There were other shorts that I thoroughly enjoyed, such as Nazrin Choudhury‘s and Sara McFarlane‘s politically critical Red, White and Blue, as well as Vincent René-Lortie‘s and Samuel Caron‘s youth crime story Invincible. Both of these shorts skillfully built a horizon of expectations before unexpectedly flipping the script, leaving viewers to question their own preconceived notions.
SOUND
Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo, and Kevin O’Connell designed the sound for Oppenheimer.
This year, my attention is particularly drawn to the Sound category, more so than ever before. This is mainly due to the strong contenders vying for recognition: Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo, and Kevin O’Connell for their work on sound design in Oppenheimer, and Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn for their work on The Zone of Interest. Both films adeptly utilize sound to immerse viewers in the unseen aspects of the narrative, with The Zone of Interest providing a particularly brilliant and unsettling example of this technique. However, considering Oppenheimer‘s dominance across various technical categories this year, it’s unlikely that The Zone of Interest will emerge victorious in this one.
As for other films in this category, such as the sci-fi close-but-not-quite masterpiece The Creator, Maestro, and the latest (and, in my opinion, weakest) Mission Impossiblem they don’t seem to stand much of a chance in this competition.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts, and Neil Corbould designed the visual effects for The Creator at Industrial Light & Magic.
Having some understanding of visual effects, having worked on films with both great and terrible effects, I’ve come to realize that the best visual effects are those that both astound you and seamlessly blend into the film, making you forget the artistry behind them. Unfortunately, I missed Godzilla Minus One in theaters and have been unable to find a copy to watch before the Oscars, but I’ve seen the rest of the contenders, and the competition between them is going to be tough—except, perhaps, for the work on Mission Impossible, which, frankly, didn’t seem up to par with the others.
Starting with Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts, and Neil Corbould‘s work on The Creator, one can’t help but be in awe of what was achieved, especially considering the relatively modest budget. I also appreciated the work of Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, and Theo Bialek on Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, particularly for their creation of soulful little creatures amidst the chaos of green-screen and virtual sets. Another standout is Napoleon, created by Neil Corbould, alongside Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, and Simone Coco, resulting in a tremendously well-designed visual effects showcase.
But who will emerge victorious? If I were a betting man, my money would be on Neil Corbould, considering his involvement in three of the nominated films. However, picking the specific film is a bit trickier. I’d probably lean towards The Creator. Seeing mid-budget sci-fi films with remarkable visual effects resonates with my own appreciation for such craftsmanship.
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
Cord Jefferson wrote the script for American Fiction, based on Percival Everett’s book Erasure.
As we know, it all begins, happens, and ends with the script. Not only does every film require a masterful script, but it serves as the very backbone of their existence. Adapting a film isn’t any easier than writing an original one, I would surmise, as it often involves reimagining the source material completely to suit the medium of film. While I haven’t read many of the books that have been adapted, except for Kai Bird‘s and Martin J. Sherwin‘s Pulitzer-winning “American Prometheus,” which served as the basis for Christopher Nolan’s script for Oppenheimer, I base my prediction solely on what I’ve seen on the screen, as it should be.
This year, I have a feeling that Cord Jefferson‘s take on Percival Everett‘s “Erasure,” which was transformed into American Fiction, is the script that will charm the writers and filmmakers deciding the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Dave Hemingson wrote The Holdovers.
Returning from the writer’s strike that shook Hollywood in 2023, original screenplays have a significant and crucial role in this year’s gala. The nominees encompass an intriguing mix of biopics, comedies, dramas, and romances. While I’ve yet to see Justine Triet‘s and Arthur Harari‘s Anatomy of a Fall, which many have touted as a strong contender for this Oscar, I was personally most impressed by David Hemingson‘s The Holdovers. Additionally, Samy Burch‘s script, based on Alex Mechanik‘s story, May December, was also noteworthy for its strength. However, my confidence lies in The Holdovers to secure this nod.
Yeah, post-production means sitting in darkened rooms for weeks, staring at your film slowly coming together. It’s the very antithesis of shooting a movie, but it’s mentally pretty draining. You are making important decisions and trying to keep the big picture in mind, and sometimes it feels like it’s going nowhere, no matter what you try. I try to keep in mind the phrase: “Your film is never as good as your rushes, and never as bad as your first cut.” There’s some truth in that, it can be very terribly disheartening to watch for the first time, as your whole soul and the weeks of your work and everyone’s work under your authority come to plain daylight. But as you start the work, finessing the scenes and honing the details, rearranging big chunks that allow you to see your whole film in a different light, it gets better. Add foley, sound, and composed music, and you’ve got a whole different beast in your hands.
A ship departing at the old Roman Harbor at the old town of Antalya, Turkey.
But I digress. I wanted to talk about the suffering of the mechanical process of post-production. Usually, it means traveling through wintery Helsinki or whatever city you do the post-production in for at least half an hour to reach the studio, and the same thing back. Usually, for some reason, post-production tends to land in January-February axis at least in my case, and nearly everywhere in Europe the weather is terribly depressing, making the already depressing or at least mentally draining feel ten times worse.
Roman Harbor, Antalya.
So this time, I found a solution: follow the sun. Instead of hauling our asses to snowy Helsinki, me and the editor flew over to Antalya in Turkey and found ourselves at a beautiful beach area where sun shines and it’s an easy 3-minute walk from the apartment to the editing suite. This allows leisurely eating breakfast at one of the beach cafes and dining out at reasonably priced joints serving Mediterranean cuisine. And since my girlfriend tagged along, romantic strolls down the beach promenade are in the menu, as well. Makes the work a whole lot nicer.
Ample breakfasts and beautiful dinners are the name of the game here.
Lately, I’ve been watching Fargo, the TV series. It’s truly a gem I managed to miss back when it started airing, thinking it’s just a cheap ripoff of the Coen brothers’ film, but it’s definitely a standalone TV-series on it’s own. I’ve now plowed through 2 season – first one being the absolutely superior one, second trying to be a bit too funny for my taste – and going through the third season – which I find better than the second one, as well. Instead, though, I should be plowing through the Oscars entries, unfortunately, so I’ll have to take a break from Fargos and focus on the movies, otherwise I’ll never make it by the time the ceremony is, and that would be a travesty.
The Duden Waterfalls. The Dude Abides.
Yesterday was a day off. We finished first version of the cut and sent it out to producers for comments. Me and Lea, we took our asses to the center of Antalya and stayed at a Hilton in the center, enjoying the old town and a short boat trip to the Duden Waterfalls. A welcome break from watching the movie, and coming back with a fresh brain feels great.
A very pretty little coffee with cats, served some fantastic pistachio coffee for us.We even managed to find a proper rock bar at the Old Town – inventively named “Rock Bar”, but sporting some pretty cool Children of Bodom artwork on the wall! Torille!
“If you don’t get physically ill seeing your first rough cut, something is wrong.”
-Martin Scorsese
Filmmaking is a beast. First, you stress your ass off for the funding to come together, then you throw yourself into a trauma-inducing shooting process, and eventually end up watching the first cut and feel devastated: this is what I shot? This is what I bled for?
Every time.
And yet, as it is with everything in a movie, you must trust the process. And the process is simple: you keep your vision clear, and work with professionals to hone the raw material into whatever it will eventually become. In my experience, the more you get to do it the way you believe in it, the better the end result will be. The more outsiders are meddling in the process, the worse the outcome will be.
With Iron Sky movies and Star Wreck, I managed to do things pretty much the way I believed in them, but with Jeepers Creepers: Reborn and 97 Minutes, I didn’t really have too much say on any of the crucial processes, from casting to post-production, and it shows, admittedly. While I keep on being proud of both of those movies, I know they are not what I wanted them to be, as they were taken away from me and finished without my approval and supervision.
Here I am again, with another rough cut of an upcoming movie in my hands. Just watched it yesterday, and was slightly freaked out, but came back to the guideline: trust the process. I’ve once worked on a film where this wasn’t heeded, and the film ended up never being released because the producer panicked and started to run around like a headless chicken, and the whole process fell apart. After, picking the pieces up has been a bit of a journey…
My point being, and this goes across the whole board of pre-, post-, and main stage of the production: just trust the process. The film is cluttered underneath all kinds of gunk and dirt, and the process will unearth it.
I’m ready and hyped up about the next part of it all – post-production. We’re starting editing the movie in just a few weeks, and then it’s all the fun stuff with VFX and music and sound (I love sound, especially foley!!) that are to follow.
One of the perks of living in Lauttasaari are the public saunas around here – but the one I love the most is The Sauna Society’s sauna complex tucked away in Vaskiniemi woods. It’s a private society and one needs two member’s invitation to be able to even join, but luckily my friend and trusted DOP Mika Orasmaa is member and has the invitation right, so we’ve taken a custom to go take a proper sauna session before our respective stints of filming somewhere in the world.
Nine saunas, and great company – what a better way to enjoy a day off?
A regular human urinates approximately every 3-3,5 hours. The approximate length of an Oscar contender this year is approximately 2,5 hours – and there are several films that exceed 3 hours. This means, that unless you have flushed your system completely before watching a movie, you are more than likely to have to hold your wee at the end of every movie see at the theaters, or go make a run. Either way, you are distracted from the story only by your natural needs, or even if you are perfectly prepared for your 3h26min sit-through, you can be 100% sure not everyone around you is. So, either way, you’ll be distracted.
Helsinki Lux – Eero Helle: EQ
These behemoths of a movie started to appear in more frequent pace after streaming started to be more accessible in households, as watching a film home that’s 3-4 hours is no problem at all – easy to pause, easy to get your snacks and moment with nature and continue. Yeah, distraction, but at least you don’t lose 10 minutes of the story when trying to run around the megaplex finding a toilet.
Victor Vicsek / Limelight: Talking Heads
Why have the most remarkable films of the year started to get longer and longer, it seems, every year? I made a comparison between projected Best Picture contenders of this year, and those of my birth year 1979, and while the approximate length of a movie has gone from 129 minutes to 136 minutes, only 1 out of 5 was over 3 hours, and 4 out of 5 were under 2h10min, compared to this year when we have 2 out of 10 over 3 hours, and 5 out of 10 over 2h10 min.
What I’m saying is, filmmakers are demanding more and more of my bladder and my bum than before, and that’s a trend I don’t think is necessarily all for the good. For me, the best film of 2023 was Fallen Leaves, at only 88 minutes length, and didn’t feel too short or too quick – the story was told, economically and clearly, instead of some of this year’s more meandering epics. Even Napoleon, at it’s 2h38minutes length felt more right than Killers of the Flower Moon or, let alone, Poor Things – because the story was there, and it kept on moving forward with a pace that felt clear and good and understandable.
What I’m trying to say here is that the streaming platforms have brought this new trend of meandering, over-self-indulgent films that just don’t know when to call it quits and let people go home. Watching Poor Things yesterday, around the time when they were wrapping it up, I was about to call it a masterpiece, but then they decided to throw in another new 20-minute-long sidestep that totally deflated the experience. Same happeend with Flower Moon, had there been some consideration for the length, it would have been a much better movie in my opinion. Many would disagree, and I have no need or want to try to tell them I’m more right than they, but my experience was really crippled by the length and I’m not too keen on that trend.
Well, what else. Yeah, went to stroll around the town checking out the Helsinki Lux light festival. The night was absolutely freezing, below negative 20 feeling like negative 30 I guess, but we braved through few of the displays and enjoyed them. I was impressed by the music and light show they displayed on the Helsinki Cathedral, but frankly, it was too cold to really stand around and enjoy every piece.
Good old Kyösti Kallio just keeps on sitting, letting the snow pile on him.
For over ten years now I’ve had a sacred mission, one that’s both dumb but funnily educational, but I take it rather seriously. The rules are simple, by the the the Oscar ceremony is on, I’m trying – and, succeeding! – to watch each and every Oscar contender in every categy (except Original Song, which I consider to be there solely for entertainment purposes).
Lea enjoying the sunny Lauttasaari nature.
Preparing for the run I try to keep my eyes on several sites that predict Oscars, so by the time the nominees are announced – usually about a month and a half before the ceremony – I’m already hitting the ground running. This year, it’s 23rd of January when they announce the nominees, and 11th of March for the ceremony.
I’ve so far seen Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Rustin, The Boy and the Heron, Napoleon, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret and The Creator that are likely competing for the feature film Oscars in different categories, and 20 Days In Mariupol and American Symphony that will likely be contending for the Documentary Feature. The one category I always find the most interesting one is the International Features, and this year I’m especially interested, as it seems Finland is getting a nomination for Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, which I ranked the best film of 2024 anyway. I also try to check out the short films as much as possible, although sometimes those are harder to find that the features – for this year, I’ve seen The Wonderful Life of Henry Sugar, The After, The Last Repair Shop and Deciding Vote.
Without really knowing the final list of contenders, it’s still quite clear there’s quite a lot to see in the coming two months, but luckily I don’t have an ongoing shoot or anything else obstructing my mission, so I’m sure I’ll succeed.
Other than that, we’ve been having a pretty harsh winter here in Finland this year, but I for one welcome the beautiful snow and fresh air. Walking around Lauttasaari, enjoying the winter and relaxing playing Baldur’s Gate 3 has been my beginning of the year, and while I suspect (hope!) it’s getting quite a bit busier as the year goes along, I’m happy to be able to kick back and take care of my place and my mental and physical health for a bit before the madness starts again.
A Christmas Tree sitting at the edge of a pier over the frozen sea in Lauttasaari.
There’s a small cinema chain in Finland called Riviera, which I’ve grown to like lately. It’s more expensive, and the screen is smaller than at a regular cinema, but it’s a pretty cute little cinema which has a bar, some snacks and drinks available. Frankly, I’m not too fussed about cinemas, but Lea prefers slightly nicer seating and services, so we’ve started to go there, whenever possible. It’s a small cinema so it’s hard to get a seat booked.
We managed to get our seats yesterday and went in to see Napoleon. It was actually the second movie of the day, we started the day off invited by Mika (Orasmaa, DOP) to see his latest film he DOP’d, There’s Something In The Barn, which I liked very much. It’s a fun Christmas elf / folk horror comedy from Norway, which brought me thinking a lot of the Finnish band Tonttu and their album Kabouter Dämmerung, one where they describe all the mischiefs elves can come up with.
Anyway, in the evening we hauled our asses through freezing Helsinki to Riviera, but gotta say, we got served shit, and left eventually feeling sour. It’s funny how little things a service needs to do wrong to lose a customership. Tickets were already pretty expensive, and we bought a bottle of wine to go with them, so it turned out to be a 100€+ film screening, which is not unheard of nowadays anyway, but for that you would expect at least a decent service.
The lady behind the counter was smiling alright, but her attitude to the crowds was rather unfavorable. Eventually when we popped out of the cinema to get some snacks, she stared us blankly while we were choosing the snacks, and after we laid over our order she stared us like two idiots, asking “what do you want”? We asked if the order could be brought to our seats or do we get it from the counter, to which she asked “what order”? I repeated what we wanted and she stared us down like we had our brains leaking out of our noses and informed us, without apologies, without explanations and without any recognition of the fact that we just paid over 100€ to watch a goddamn movie at her establishment, that “kitchen’s closed”.
Now, I understand that kitchen can be indeed closed, and respect that wholeheartedly, but treating customers like they are pieces of shit in a small, specialized and unique cinema with a cute local vibe is what I can’t stand. I come to expect to be treated like shit in multiplexes, but these tiny establishments are there because we want to share a nice evening, not just to see the film.
Anyway, pissed me off and lost two paying customers to that establishment. Luckily they have two of those – this one was the one in Punavuori area – so maybe we’ll find ourselves better treated in the other one.
It’s getting really cold in Helsinki, a weather I can actually appreciate – at least the city looks pretty and nice and clean with all the fresh snow falling. I also went back to the gym for the first time in months – I mean, I did do some workouts at Hilton in Astana, but first time back at the crossfit gym, it’s always a rude awakening on the body.
Oh, and what about Napoleon? Yeah, ultimately an epic movie that left you emotionally a bit detached and cold – the big battle scenes are beautiful, especially the one over the ice is phenomenal, but Joaquin Phoenix’s performace doesn’t really work for me. There’s something mundane and uninteresting in him, which is a surprise, given how great he often is in his movies.
We humans like clearly constructed stories, our brains enjoy them: stories that have a beginning, and an ending – that’s what I make my living on, too, as a filmmaker. We create these artificial constructs and color our existence by claiming we are part of some kind of a story, that our life goes through some kind of an Aristotelian arc, and we position ourselves along that life-long story at an arbitrary point and wrangle the truth so it feels like it makes sense. Ending of the year is oftentimes the very epitome of such narrative – while we’ve traveled around the Sun for yet another full round, what happened to us is in no way more or less part of an ongoing story than your next visit to a local supermarket. You can make it sound like it, but honestly, it’s just a bunch of telomeres shortening and cells dying, until we as an organism drop dead and make room for others.
So I’m not so big into this “what a wonderful year”, “what a hard year” or “a full restart at the beginning of a new” -bullshit. There are few things, though, that mark the progression of the year – and for me it’s the movies that come out during the year.
My top 5 films of 2023 are – I edited this after giving it a bit more thought…
1. FALLEN LEAVES (“Kuolleet Lehdet” Aki Kaurismäki)
2. OPPENHEIMER (Christopher Nolan)
3. THE BOY AND THE HERON (“Kimitachi Wa dô Ikiru Ka”, Hayao Miyazaki)
4. ASTEROID CITY (Wes Anderson)
5. THE CREATOR (Garteh Edwards)
Now, mind you there’s still missing big ones I assume would end up challenging the list, like Killers of the Flower Moon or Holdovers, but as I didn’t watch them in 2023, they won’t be on this list.
Other than that, the year begun on a peaceful note. We had a long walk along the beaches of Lauttasaari with Lea, admiring the beauty of the island we live on and enjoying the brisk negative fifteen degrees weather. Lauttasaari looks magical this time of the year and I love how nicely people put the lights out and make it inviting and pretty.
The year looks overall a bit uncertain but interesting if things fall into places. There’s two new movies I’m dabbling with, and I should try to finish my driving school if still possible. I’m also hoping to finish the current one I just finished shooting and get it out late 2024, but these tend to get easily pushed as post production schedule can be basically anything.
Anyway, happy new year everyone, and enjoy your 2024!
Here’s a quick update on what’s been up with me lately, as I haven’t had proper time to write out here in a bit!
Last year I released my fourth feature film, Jeepers Creepers: Reborn, which was released worldwide, theatrically in many countries including US and UK, on Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming elsewhere. While the film was controversial, to say the least among the fans and the critics, which was a given knowing the film’s background and the fact that I was the first director to poke the franchise in any way, it was a very successful release nevertheless, numbers-wise. Given that Jeepers was a hired-gun -job, I feel I did my job OK, and I’m still very proud of the movie for the parts where I had a chance to do things the way I believed in, but in the end, it was the producers Jake Seal‘s and Terry Bird‘s movie, and they called the final shots, and I trust they got the film they wanted!
Following the same trajectory, I was also invited to another Jake Seal-produced film 97 Minutes, with producers Jamie Thompson and a spinal-surgeon-gone-writer/actor Pavan Grover. While the script needed a lot of work to be filmable, I was enamored by the cast I got a chance to work with – Alec Baldwin, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and MyAnna Buring. When the cards were laid in front of me, the reality stroke hard: despite having a A-list cast, our budget allowed only 1 week of prep and 18 shooting days. What a riot!
I did my best with the film within those 18 days, and thanks to a great cinematographer Konstantin Freyer, we managed to get everything in the bag in those 18 days, no overtime. Compromises had to be made, surely, but the damn thing was in the can in a little over two weeks. For that, I give the team a huge pat in the back, really tight work! The film was released in June 2023 in US followed by European / streamer release.
And what’s next? Nope, won’t do another Iron Sky, unfortunately that IP has passed on to somebody else and I’m no longer involved in that. Sad face. And nope, won’t do another Jeepers Creepers, got traumatized by the response on that one. Another sad face.
But enough pouting, there’s a lot of cool stuff in the horizon!
Right now, I have a two new films lined up: a sci-fi film Project Darwin I’m to direct later this year, followed by a film about a town of serial killers and murderers, Killtown. In addition to this, I’m also developing two TV series, Iron Sky -follow up Red Planet, and Nordic crime series Undertaker. I also activated in advertisements, and nowadays have a representation with Cocoa Mediaproductions to direct shorter format ads with cinematic edge – like the one I did for Burger King just recently!
Ah well, that’s me, right now! I’ll keep on writing here a bit more often from now on, as I feel like i’ve neglected this a bit.
Got myself a new hobby, too! First month with Green Card, and I’m already in love (and really, really, really bad at this).
Twenty-Twenty Two was the first year I truly observed my viewing habits changing. Reluctantly, I’ve found myself negotiating my heinie to the movie theaters; more I find myself kicking back and relaxing at home to watch films on streamers. But the streamers, leave barely a mark on my brain. What I’ve seen in theaters, I do remember. I experience them differently. But alas, such is the way of the world these days – less cinema, more streaming. I begrudgingly admit to it but wish it wasn’t so.
This year, I saw no superhero movies. There were loads of them I’m sure, but with none did I decide to spend time and watch. Their cultural relevance is shifting, maybe shrinking. Might be the right time for it.
But this list is, traditionally, an incomplete list of films from 2022 that I end up liking because the Oscar season begins so late, and much of the Oscar pics I watch only start mid-January and end on the day of the gala. Some films this year found their way on my list through festivals; I did quite a many, either in the jury or the audience. After really going through the list of films I saw last year, it wasn’t very hard to come up with the list. So, here we go – my top 10 films of 2022!
1. MOONAGE DAYDREAM
Without a question, this hazy, dream-like documentary of my all-time favorite artist really grasped what it feels like to be a Bowie fan. It bypassed the tropes of meticulous retelling of Bowie’s story – it’s not relevant when you dive right into the wonderful, mind-bending, inebriating world of Bowie’s music. The documentary manages to celebrate the music of David Bowie better than any music documentary I’ve seen before. Truly a cinematic experience.
2. AVATAR: THE WAY OF THE WATER
After so many years of waiting, James Cameron once again shows that he’s not to be ridiculed, ignored, or in any way belittled – he is one of the great masters of cinema, and a driving force in pushing the limits of what can be brought on screen time and again. Avatar: The Way of the Water is a film that transports you again to somewhere else, a wonderful world that just sucks you in. It’s a great film, an experience, and a showcase of what’s next to come in the world of film.
3. VESPER
Proud to say I’m friends with the directors of Vesper. I’ve walked with them through their years of struggling to put a film together, and then, seeing the genuine, beautiful, and atmospheric Vesper, I nearly cried. I’ve known Kristina and Bruno and believed they were great filmmakers, but really seeing them at it on the big screen, it’s a treat. I wish all the best for them for their next films and hope Vesper finds as many viewers over its long and internationally successful launch.
4. LA PIEDAD
Holy shit. Sometimes just going to a film festival, picking a film at random without knowing anything about it, and letting it smack you in the face is the best thing there is. La Piedad came exactly like that, from far left field, and sucker-punched me right in the kisser like a motherfucker. There’s no real need to go and describe what the film is about – a tricky relationship between a mother and her son – but the sole visual representation, the piety it’s made and the braveness of the director, La Piedad deserves a lot more attention.
5. BARBARIAN
Ahh, a film that opens up perfectly, really managing to creep me out! Barbarian is a really strong-directed horror film that’s as modern and artistic as nowadays changing horror audiences is requiring. It’s a great, visual fun with superb cast and some real powerhouse of a director at helm!
6. SPEAK NO EVIL
Well, the Danes sure know how to make things awkward. A friendly family visit turns into a night of absolute, awkward terror. Speak No Evil is a really powerful film that lingers on long afterward, although, I still can’t understand why she didn’t shoot them when she got the shotgun.
7. HOLY SPIDER
Bleak serial killer story of an Iranian serial killer case and it’s incredible aftermath really unearths what’s wrong with religiously supercharged, women-hating side of some cultures out there. Mind you, it’s easy to stand in shock and shake your head at Iranian culture, but truth be told, this could happen just as easily in USA, where religious fundamentalism is just as prevalent.
8. TROLL
I gotta say, I had loads of fun with this one. One of those that you stumble upon on Netflix when they promote something for 5 seconds and then never again, but I’m glad I pressed “play” and watched this silly bit of CG fun. A troll awakens in the mountains of Norway to wreak havoc and get missiled down by Norwegian army, it’s a solid actioner with nice heart and visuals.
9. LYNCH/OZ
Another film by a friend of mine, Alexander O. Philippe, also from the film festival circuit, Lynch/Oz rams itself down a rabbit hole of Lynch’s fascination to Wizard of Oz and starts burrowing. Funky documentary which opens the world of Lynch even for a die-hard fan like me quite a bit.
10. A TREE OF LIFE: THE PITTSBURGH SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING
Ultra right wing ideologies rear their ugly head nowadays in US, leading to mindless killings like the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting, which was this one shit rag’s response to immigration caravans that were helped by Jewish community. Readily available guns, unchecked mental health patients roaming around and slowly growing and accepted and even lauded racist, anti-semitic and what not ideologies dot the cultural and ideological landscape of US, and tend to always echo down to Europe later on as well. The documentary explores the events leading to the shooting, bringing forward the victims much more than the perpetrator.
DISCLAIMER: Nope, there’s a load of films from 2022 I didn’t get to watch, some that would likely find their way into this end-of-the-year list, and as I’m now jumping into the Oscar films, undoubtedly many of these here would end up changing. But this is a pretty good look into what I thought was cool that came out last year, without too much of the Oscar buzz mudding the pool.
Vuorensola.com 