Shorts Competition 3: My Nature

Farewell to Snow – Snowplay
dir. Sanni Priha, Finland 2024, 14 min
If you are looking for a cinematic equivalent of digging around in the snow, Farewell to Snow – Snowplay is just for you. A small-scale love letter to snow, the film dives into the snow banks full of childlike wonder. But behind the wonder there looms the fear of a snowless future: what will future generations lose if there is no more snow to play in?
Aleksi Julkunen (translated by Adrian Murtomäki)

Fabulous Cow Ladies
dir. Mia Halme, Finland 2024, 30 min
Once upon a time there was a summer, buzzing flies, and three cows frolicking in the forest: Ilo, Muru, and Namu. Accomplished documentarian Mia Halme follows the ladies and the humans caring for them through the four seasons, capturing moments of gentleness, joy, and sorrow. The heartfelt documentary reminds us of the priceless value of nature and loved ones.
Saarlotta Halme

Muohtačalmmit
dir. Hans Pieski & Arttu Nieminen, Finland 2024, 10 min
In 1915, Muohtačalmmit, the defining work of Tana river valley poet Pedar Jalvi, was published in print. More than a hundred years after its publication, the poem is still scathingly topical. In the hands of Hans Pieski and Arttu Nieminen, the sharp observations of Finland’s first Sámi author about the Sápmi region also become touching visually, and question the cost of the green energy transition for the nature of the North and for traditional Sámi ways of life. An electrifying narration is provided by artistic multi-talent Niillas Holmberg.
Minna Saarinen (translated by Adrian Murtomäki)

Underdog
dir. Marjo Levlin, Suomi 2024, 30 min
Underdog begins as a dog-filled travelogue but eventually forms into a cinematic essay that effortlessly moves from one time and place to the next. The film criticises selective breeding and explores the history of oppression based on racial categorisation in both the human and dog world. The film’s audiovisual argumentation is constructed effectively through split-screen cinematography and voiceover narration.
Aleksi Julkunen (translated by Sofia Lanki)

Directors Sanni Priha, Mia Halme and Marjo Levlin will attend the screening 7 Feb.

Content warning: animal suffering