Circus film

Tuoni

Tuoni is a sensitive dance film about a mythological male figure and his connection to the Finnish national landscape. The film lingers at the thresholds of the otherworld and our relationship with nature, set in a vanishing forest landscape.

The creation of the work was an exploratory, site-responsive process in which the landscape acted as an active collaborator through choreography and object manipulation. The process examined national imagery, masculine representations, and the Finnish relationship to nature through a critical queer female gaze.

Makers

Choreography and film execution

Tuulia Soininen

Performer

Merri Heikkilä

Sound designer

Konsta Leinonen

Supporter

Taiteen edistämiskeskus

Be nothing

When everyone else is trying to be something - Be Nothing

Makers

Production

By Carousel Company. Made in a collaboration with Gram Media.

Direction

Niels Gramsen

Starring

Jaakko Repola, Ireen Peegel (Carousel Company)

Video

Niels Gramsen, Kristiina Ilane (Gram Media)

Make-up artist

Karola Kaugema

All that we have

All That We Have explores the idea of aging in circus, and possibly aging out of abilities you've worked so hard to achieve, and how one deals with that phase of life. Like everything else she does, Marie-Eve was elegant, gracious and insightful about her experience, and I hope her story inspires people both young and old to go after things they're excited about and embrace the present moment.

Grace in the static

Grace in the static is an exploration on the different pressures facing young people today, and how hopefully art can be a vehicle to overcome them. When I was coaching at the National Circus School of Montreal I reflected on how difficult it must be for young people these days to try to discover themselves as artists and as young adults while also grappling with all the pressures in the world today- environmental crises, political scandals, rising cost of living, conflicts at home, identity issues, and more. I hope that art can be a vehicle to find one's ability to self-express even despite all the chaos, even if sometimes it just feels like a temporary shelter from the storm.

About the Filmmaker

Eric Bates is a circus artist and filmmaker based in Montreal, Canada. He loves telling powerful human stories, and exploring how the circus arts can be portrayed on film.

Toisin Tein

Toisin tein (I did it the other way) is a short film about abortion by Sisus Sirkus. It’s based on personal stories that are told through improvised movement on the ground, aerial acrobatics and with the element of water.

The topic of abortion is approached through the process of decision making - and the different emotions it evokes. These emotions and the possible complexity of decision making create a strong atmosphere in the film. Circus as an art form is used for channeling experiences that can be hard to talk about.

Toisin tein wants to highlight that abortion is a human right. The person with the uterus should always be the one to make the choice whether to have an abortion or not.

WORKING GROUP