Director: AJ Annila Writer: Iiro Küttner Cast: Ville Virtanen ... - Arte
Director: AJ Annila Writer: Iiro Küttner Cast: Ville Virtanen ... - Arte
Director: AJ Annila Writer: Iiro Küttner Cast: Ville Virtanen ... - Arte
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SAUNA<br />
PRESS KIT<br />
<strong>Director</strong>: <strong>AJ</strong> <strong>Annila</strong><br />
<strong>Writer</strong>: <strong>Iiro</strong> <strong>Küttner</strong><br />
<strong>Cast</strong>: <strong>Ville</strong> <strong>Virtanen</strong>, Tommi Eronen, Viktor Klimenko, Sonja Petäjäjärvi,<br />
Cinematography: Henri Blomberg<br />
Editor: Joona Louhivuori<br />
Kari Ketonen, Kati Outinen, Vilhelmiina Virkkunen, Ismo Kallio<br />
Production Design: Vladimir Bedrich Dvorak, Antti Nikkinen, <strong>Ville</strong> Vauras<br />
Costume Design: Anna Vilppunen<br />
Music: Panu Aaltio<br />
Sound Design: Panu Riikonen, Vesa Meriläinen<br />
Producers: Tero Kaukomaa & Jesse Fryckman / Bronson Club Oy<br />
Rating: K15<br />
Runtime: 84 min<br />
Finnish Premiere: 24.10.2008<br />
Website: www.washyoursins.com
SYNOPSIS<br />
A cruel and beautiful horror film bathing in the Finnish sauna culture, in the no-zone between<br />
Christianity and paganism.<br />
Year 1595 - the long and brutal war is finally over. Brothers Knut and Erik - who are part of the<br />
commission marking the border between Finland and Russia - commit a terrible sin as they leave a<br />
young girl to die a horrible death. As the commission crosses the uncharted swamp the girl returns<br />
to haunt them, her face pouring endless filth.<br />
Weary men find solace from the nameless village and find a sauna - the sauna where all sins are<br />
washed away. Seeking forgiveness the brothers step in...
A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR<br />
I never wanted to do a horror film. I do like watching them, though; that cathartic experience, when<br />
you get safely close to your own fears: violence, cruelty, unjustified evil, loss, obscurity. Maybe that’s<br />
exactly why, because I didn’t want to do a horror film, Sauna isn’t just a horror film. I wish it to be<br />
something much more, but it isn’t up me anymore – it’s in the viewers’ hands now.<br />
I wanted to do a film about sin and forgiveness. About how forgiveness cannot be gotten or asked<br />
from anywhere else than from the people against whom you have done wrong. About how we have to<br />
be brave enough to turn back to look at those people face to face. If they aren’t here anymore, we can<br />
be forgiven only by ourselves. Not by anyone else.<br />
I believe that the essence of real horror lies not in what you see or hear as a viewer. It’s in real<br />
characters. In people who you can really care for despite all their flaws. The real horror lies in what you<br />
don’t see or hear.<br />
It’s in the viewer’s imagination.<br />
<strong>AJ</strong> <strong>Annila</strong>
A WORD FROM THE PRODUCER 1<br />
A couple of years ago we did a rather long and interesting trip with <strong>AJ</strong> <strong>Annila</strong> that gave birth to a film<br />
called Jade Warrior. A film that has evoked both irritation and gratification in its viewers – and which<br />
has been sold to over 60 countries. Jade Warrior is one of the most widespread Finnish films and a kick<br />
start to the Finnish genre cinema.<br />
Sauna was set out to be made on two boundary conditions; its budget must be considerably lower than<br />
the average budget of a Finnish film, and it must done fast (Jade Warrior took six years). This time it<br />
took one and a half years from the idea to the silver screen.<br />
Our goal has been to make a film that follows <strong>AJ</strong>’s debut film to the world. The world premiere of<br />
Sauna was held on the first weekend of September at the Toronto International Film Festival where a<br />
very large group of international buyers, who had clearly been waiting for this “Finnish oddity”, was<br />
present. Once again gratification and irritation shined from the buyers and I dare to say that Sauna will<br />
too find its way to many markets.<br />
And the story goes on: <strong>AJ</strong> <strong>Annila</strong>’s touch is beginning to take even more shape after Sauna and it is yet<br />
again easier to continue developing, producing and exporting <strong>AJ</strong>’s projects.<br />
Tero Kaukomaa<br />
tero@bronson.fi<br />
p. +41 79 2537638<br />
A WORD FROM THE PRODUCER 2<br />
Bronson Club is a young and innovative production company that produces feature films and serial<br />
fiction from a new angle, cost-effectively and without sacrificing quality.<br />
The company’s main contributors are Tero Kaukomaa, a movie producer of long standing and the<br />
founder of the production company Blind Spot Pictures, Jesse Fryckman, the founder of the<br />
commercial production company KOMIA Helsinki Oy and Jari Lähteinen, the former producer of<br />
domestic content of the popular Finnish TV channel SubTV.<br />
The goal of the company is to bring forth new talents, to stand out and differ from traditional domestic<br />
productions with content and genres, and to aim to become an internationally competitive company.<br />
Jesse Fryckman<br />
jesse@bronson.fi<br />
p. +358 40 590 9999
ACTORS<br />
<strong>Ville</strong> <strong>Virtanen</strong> – Erik Spore<br />
Tommi Eronen – Knut Spore<br />
Viktor Klimenko – Semenski<br />
Kari Ketonen – Musko<br />
<strong>Ville</strong> <strong>Virtanen</strong> (born 1961) graduated from the Finnish Theatre Academy in<br />
1999 and has also studied dramaturgy in the Department of Film and<br />
Television of the University of Arts and Design Helsinki. He is also renowned<br />
as a theatre director, a writer and one of the founders of the improvisational<br />
theatre group Stella Polaris. Before Sauna he has acted in several TV series,<br />
such as Sincerely Yours in Cold Blood (2002–2008), which brought him the Venla<br />
prize for best actor in 2003, and feature films, such as A Respectable Tragedy<br />
(1998) by Kaisa Rastimo, Upswing (2003) by Johanna Vuoksenmaa and Black<br />
Ice (2007) by Petri Kotwica.<br />
Tommi Eronen (born 1968) graduated from the Finnish Theatre Academy in<br />
1995. He has acted in many TV series, such as Tahdon asia (2005), and feature<br />
films, such as <strong>AJ</strong> <strong>Annila</strong>’s debut film Jade Warrior (2006), Producing Adults (2004)<br />
by Aleksi Salmenperä and Bad Luck Love (2000) by Olli Saarela, which brought<br />
him the Jussi prize for best support actor in 2001. After Sauna he will be seen<br />
in The House of Branching Love (2009), an upcoming film by Mika Kaurismäki.<br />
Viktor Klimenko (born 1942) has earlier acted in Helsinki City Theatre, some<br />
television roles and the last film directed by Matti Kassila in the Palmu series,<br />
Vodka, Mr. Palmu (1969). Above all, he is renowned as a singer with many goldselling<br />
albums and a long-standing career as a show artist.<br />
Kari Ketonen (born 1971) graduated from the Finnish Theatre Academy<br />
in 1997. He has acted in several theatre plays and TV series, such as<br />
Ketonen & Myllyrinne (2006–2008) ja Protectors (2008). He is especially<br />
remembered from Pelicanman (2004), which brought him a nomination for<br />
the Jussi prize for best actor in 2005, and Tali-Ihantala 1944 (2007).
Rain Tolk – Rogosin<br />
Kati Outinen – Eukko<br />
Sonja Petäjäjärvi – Poika<br />
Rain Tolk (born 1977) is a self-taught Estonian actor. He did his<br />
breakthrough in his homeland in the highly controversial, satirical TV series<br />
Esto-TV. Later he has acted in many films, such as Tühirand (2006) and<br />
Sügisball (2007) by Veiko Õunpuu. He will also be seen in the newest film by<br />
Õunpuu, The Temptation of St. Tony (2009), co-produced by Bronson Club.<br />
Kati Outinen (born 1961) graduated from the Finnish Theatre Academy<br />
in 1984. Outinen, who has also served as a professor in acting, has over<br />
the years acted in numerous theatre plays, TV series and feature films.<br />
Her most well-known film appearances are, of course, the many lead<br />
roles in films by Aki Kaurismäki, such as The Match Factory Girl (1990),<br />
Drifting Clouds (1996) and The Man Without a Past (2002). as well as her<br />
first film role in Right on, Man! (1980), by Tapio Suominen, which is<br />
unforgettable. In 2002, The Man Without a Past brought her the prize for<br />
best actress in the Cannes Film Festival.<br />
14-year-old Sonja Petäjäjärvi came to the auditions of Sauna through a<br />
Finnish casting agency. Sonja had never acted in any films before Sauna,<br />
but she impressed director <strong>AJ</strong> <strong>Annila</strong> right away with her courage and<br />
ingenuousness.
International sales:<br />
Tero kaukomaa<br />
Blind Spot Pictures<br />
+41792537638<br />
tero@blindspot.fi<br />
Production Company:<br />
Bronson Club<br />
Jesse Fryckman<br />
+358405909999<br />
jesse@bronson.fi