Helsinki

Screenings of “Máhccan” and “Je’vida”, followed by masterclass by directors Suvi West and Katja Gauriloff

Screenings of “Máhccan” and “Je’vida”, followed by masterclass by directors Suvi West and Katja Gauriloff

Dec

02

Sat

03:46 – 03:46

TRANSBORDER CONVERSATIONS is thrilled to announce its fourth evening of cinema and conversation. This time, we are bringing you a unique double screening with two exceptional films, accompanied by the directors who will join us as our special guests. We proudly present Máhccan (2023) and Je’vida (2023) followed by a Masterclass with directors Suvi West and Katja Gauriloff. The event is an opportunity to see these films with English subtitles and a chance to meet these two directors together. The event will take place on December 2nd 2023, at Kino K13, close to Helsinki city centre.

Event Details
Date: December 2nd, 2023
Location: Kino K13, Katajanokanlaituri 11 A, 00160 Helsinki (wheelchair accessible
Time: 13:00-20:00 
13:00 – Doors open
13:30 – Screening of Máhccan (Homecoming)
small break
15:05 – Screening of Je’vida
small break
17:15 – Masterclass with filmmakers Suvi West and Katja Gauriloff 
19:45 – End of Masterclass 
20:00 – We continue the evening at Poseidon Bar 
(Kruunuvuorenkatu 1, 00160 Helsinki – wheelchair accessible)
Films are in Sámi languages and Finnish, with English subtitles.
Please note that Je’vida is recommended for age 12 and above.
The event is guided by safe space principles.

Entry and Registration
Masterclass and screening are open to the public and free.
Please register via this link: 
https://docs.google.com/…/11lSrjYsP-e…/edit
More about the cinema’s accessibility: 
https://www.ses.fi/en/kino-k-13s-accessibility/

About “Máhccan” (directed by Suvi West and Anssi Kömi)
The documentary is set in the Museum world in a turning point, where the national museums have to deal with their colonialistic history. The National Museum of Finland returned thousands of everyday objects taken from the indigenous Sámi people back to them. Filmmaker Suvi West takes the audience behind the scenes of the museum world, revealing a visual, philosophical, and spiritual realm. She seeks a connection with ancestors through old museum objects, eventually arriving at the collective pain points of the Sámi people. West asks how forgiveness can be given? How can the damage caused by outsiders be repaired so that collective pains can finally be left behind?

Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HGuTGiluIs

About “Je’vida” (directed by Katja Gauriloff)
An aunt and her niece who’ve never met before drive to Lapland to empty a house they’ve inherited. Turns out the withdrawn and distrusting aunt had been a victim of the assimilation policies and the niece has to make a big decision. By taking interest in each other they find value in themselves and their roots. The film follows Je’vida’s story in three different time periods. It is a movie about the significance of culture, language, and memories in the context of forced Finnish assimilation. Je’vida is also the first feature film in history to be made in Skolt Sámi language.

Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTwdUKb9Ifk

Masterclass with the directors Katja Gauriloff and Suvi West

After the films, join us for a Masterclass where the film directors will delve into themes of heritage, identity, resilience, and repatriation explored in their films with profound depth and emotion. We extend a warm welcome to the audience, encouraging everyone to engage in the dialogue. In the words of Suvi West, “The story should be told through empowerment, not through bitterness. I believe that this is a unifying, positive, loving, and even a spiritual journey. It is also essential to convey that the representatives of the general population are committed to doing the right thing and reducing the inequality between our people.” The Masterclass aims to enrich our understanding of the films’ themes, particularly in the context of the still ongoing Finnish colonialism of Sámi territories. Additionally, it provides insights into the directors’ creative processes, and as our previous events, aims to foster connections within both local and international film communities.

Katja Gauriloff (b. 1972) is an award-winning film director well-known for her influential films. Her films have been screened and awarded at various festivals around the world. Canned Dreams and Kaisa’s Enchanted Forest have both been part of the Berlinale, with Kaisa’s Enchanted Forest opening the Berlinale NATIVe section in 2017. Katja Gauriloff won Best Documentary Film at the Finnish National Film Awards (Jussi) in 2016. Her first fiction feature was Baby Jane (2019).

Suvi West is an award-winning director and script writer. She has directed several short films and two feature documentaries, Me and My Little Sister and Eatnameamet – Our Silent Struggle. Her films have been screened in film festivals around the world and distributed in European TV channels. In 2019 she was selected to be one of the directors present in Venice Biennale in Finland’s pavilion.

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About TransBorder Conversations
TransBorder Conversations is a series of public screenings, masterclasses, and panel discussions initiated and tailored by the filmmaker and doctoral researcher Erol Mintaş, and organized by Art School Maa and the Academy of Moving People and Images (AMPI) in collaboration with Aalto University – Critical Cinema Lab (CCL). The masterclasses focus on learning first-hand from renowned filmmakers, who have worked in the field for years and decades, and have broken many ‘glass roofs’ in a predominantly male profession. Each masterclass/panel starts with a screening, followed by a moderated discussion between the filmmaker and an invited moderator. All the screenings, panels and masterclasses are free and open to the audience. 
TransBorder Conversations is supported by the Finnish Film Foundation and AVEK (the Promotion Centre for Audiovisual Culture Finland). This fourth event is also kindly supported by Goethe-Institut Finnland.

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For questions or any concerns about the event, please contact:
coordinator.of.tbc@gmail.com
For press inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact:
tbcpressandpr@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @transborderconversations

Sat 02 Dec 2023 Closed today