Two of our alumni directors won honorary mentions at Saimaa Film Festival!
Matleena Jänis (Film class 1993-1996) for her short film Muistokirjoitus/Saarelaiset (An Obituary/The Islanders): “The work, which sheds light on the phases of one family and the history of a summer cottage, expands into a universal obituary not only for deceased loved ones but also for Finnish summer and cottage life. The film’s three-channel format and plant-themed animations effectively support the subject, where layers of time overlap.”
Satu-Lotta Rannisto (Film class 2016-2020) for her short film Riippumatto (The Hammock): “With a sympathetic script and excellent actors, the film reminds us of the importance of our local nature in a positive way. It is easy for the viewer to sympathize with the fast-paced, believably and sensitively portrayed love affair.”
https://saimaafilmfestival.com/en/
Muistokirjoitus/Saarelaiset, A creative documentary, directed by Matleena Jänis:
“A cinematic triptych that skillfully balances loss, family history and the pure joy of color.”
– Tampere Film Festival Jury
“A film of incredible emotional range and aesthetic beauty, full of humour and poignancy.”
-Foca Film Days, Türkiye
”In its imagery we sense both beauty and urgency, a spark that speaks to the present while reaching beyond it.”
– Beijing International Short Film Festival
Synopsis: The film tells the story of the grief associated with the death of a mother, the memories passed down from generation to generation, and the joys of summer cottage living in a Finnish lakeside landscape.
Director’s note: The project began when my mother died. In her estate, I found nostalgic summer cottage films that became important for the work of mourning. I missed that wonderful time, but at the same time I realized that it was just an image that I carry with me. I began to explore questions about intergenerationalism and the representation of the past: what and how we remember and how we talk about it. The meanings associated with the summer cottage lakeside landscape emerge in the flow of life, death, and memory. I am also interested in the question of whether film can create a time-utopia where the past and the present are simultaneously present.
Curator´s word: How do we exist within the folds of time? Here, existence is a becoming through the active embrace of plural histories, an entanglement through which we weave and are woven into the fabric of time. Gestures like these are responses, bodily and imaginatively, to the question of how to exist in times: salvaging fragments from the fault lines of memory, entwining with the specters that seep through history, unearthing unrealized potentials from the ruins of obsolete media, and wielding fiction as a pick to strike at the bedrock of reality. – Zifei Wang, BISFF 2025
https://matleenajanis.com/muistokirjoitus-saarelaiset/
“Satu-Lotta “Sasu” Rannisto: Riippumatto: Director’s words:
“The film is a thought-provoking work about my relationship with Finnish nature, work, my own time and recovery, spiced up with a love story.
In the daily grind of work, it’s easy to forget about taking care of yourself, when work demands constant perfection. It’s important to take time for yourself, which is why the film’s main character, Muura, goes out into nature to enjoy the Finnish summer, beautiful landscapes and water.
In addition to well-being and recovery, the film is about letting go and breaking your own patterns. When you break your own patterns, you can find something new in your life. Muura has always made her trips alone, but this time the pattern is broken when Fina comes into the picture.
The third important theme is the diversity of love. I have seen criticism of the representation of gender and sexual minorities in various TV series and films. The problem is often that gender identity or sexual orientation is made the character’s entire personality, not just a part of it. I want to bring up the idea: minorities “They are ordinary people facing ordinary things. However, without ignoring the fact that they still do not receive inclusive treatment.”
Satu-Lotta “Sasu” Rannisto – Director and Screenwriter
Graduated from the Turku Academy of Arts in 2020 with a degree in Media Studies and specialized in film. As her final project, she made the sci-fi short film iHuman, which was awarded two production support awards in the Pitch 2019 competition by Post Control and Kalevala Studio. After that, Sasu has edited the fantasy short film The Demon of Midday, which deals with therapy and the difficulty of seeking it. Sasu has directed two indie short films Yöt joina aurinko ei nouse and Poissa Silmistä. As her day job, Sasu has worked in various tasks in the post-production department of several production companies. She is currently a rough editor at Banijay Finland.
As a director and screenwriter, Sasu wants to influence people’s attitudes and behavior with her works so that the world can be equal, diverse, safe and sustainable. He aims for strong emotional reactions that make the viewer question their own choices. “The future can be anything; it’s up to us what we do with it.”