Description
Dance film is not bound by form or genre. It is a fusion of powerful art forms and an evolving art of its own. Dance film is for everyone.
The Regional Dance Centre of Ostrobothnia invited dance filmmaker and curator Kati Kallio to present a selection of her films in Kokkola on International Dance Day, 29 April. The screening has been co-curated by Kallio and dance artist Mia Malviniemi. The programme at Bio Rex Kokkola brings together works by filmmakers connected through social themes.
The screening opens with In the Same Boat by Mia Malviniemi and Mervi Junkkonen, a film about the boundaries of the ageing body and the boundlessness of the mind. Rauno’s Story takes us on a boat trip with a father and son, where unexpected difficulties arise.
The second film, Impressed into Silence by Vilma Tihilä and Sanni Kriikku, is a poetic dance and music film that depicts the relationship between a mother and daughter, exploring intergenerational trauma and the silent transmission of repressed emotions.
Ha ha ha, a vibrant dance film by Samuli Valkama and Jyrki Karttunen, tells the story of an efficient factory where one worker suddenly challenges the management, sparking a small rebellion.
Sámi artist Marja Helander’s film Eatnanvuloš Lottit – Birds in the Earth explores deep questions hidden behind the ownership of Sámi territories. In the film, young dancers Katja and Biret Haarla travel from Sápmi to the steps of the Finnish Parliament House.
From Kati Kallio’s body of work, Mia Malviniemi selected three films to be shown in Kokkola. The first, Contrapeso, made in collaboration with Nicaraguan dancer Yeinner Chicas, tells the story of a man struggling to maintain a meaningless structure in his life, who through a mysterious event breaks down his own barrier and recognises his true nature.
Walk Beside Me, directed and choreographed by Kati Kallio, is based on interviews with Kyllikki Piira and an idea by Elli Isokoski. The film presents the perspective of Kyllikki, who lived to the age of 94, reflecting on loneliness, letting go, long friendships, and companionship.
Blue is a fairytale fantasy about a bird-like figure embraced by the forest. The central character has evolved over the years as dancer and choreographer Vappu Virkkula has sought a figure of strength through dance and movement. The film depicts gentle powers and magical skills, independence, and a self-directed ability to create life, meaning, and encounters.
The total duration of the films is approximately 65 minutes, and the full screening with discussions lasts 95 minutes. The post-screening discussions feature curators and filmmakers Mia Malviniemi and Kati Kallio. The conversation is moderated by journalist and one of the founders of the Kokkola Film Festival, Laura Airola.
Tickets: www.biorex.org