Cinema for me is…
Elsa in 23 frames
- Describe yourself in ten words.
I am very lively, bubbly, curious and approachable person. - Your best quality? Your worst habit?
Best quality: My ability to approach people without any judgment.
Worst habit: Being very scatterbrained. I’m always forgetting my keys, bus cards and wallets everywhere. - Your dream job?
I would love to direct and write my own films! - What do you like most about your country?
The thing I love most about Finland is the summertime. The amount of light and flowers is something that almost compensates for the pitch-black winters. - Your favorite dish in your country?
This is not really a dish but more of a pastry but it’s called “karjalanpiirakka”(Karelian pasty), and it’s made of a rye crust and a rice filling and people often eat it with butter or with a butter/boiled egg mixture called “munavoi” (eggbutter). - Which word or phrase in your native language do you like the most and what does it mean?
I love the word “hämärä” because I like the way it sounds and it has lots of meanings. It’s an adjective that describes a place where there is little to no light. It could be translated as dusk, dim or gloomy. But it’s also used to describe actions that are suspicious, mysterious or seemingly dangerous. So, I really like the duality of the word! - What European capital have you visited lately?
Paris! - Other than your own, which European country would you love to live in?
I would love to live in Germany, Italy or Denmark! - What does Europe mean to you? 3 values.
Europe for me, means some kind of community or union. Even though there is tension and conflicts between countries, I still feel like there is a sort of bond. It also means freedom to travel and experience European countries. Lastly Europe for me means diversity. Diversity of cultures, music, food, religion and people! - What film made you fall in love with cinema?
Barbie and The Diamond Castle (Gino Nichele, 2008, US), I watched it religiously when I was seven. - Your favorite film theatre? What do you like about it?
My favorite movie theater is this small one right in the center of Helsinki called Kino Engel. There is an Italian pizzeria right next to it so the lobby smells like freshly baked pizza and you can hear people chit chatting and clinking their wine glasses. There are only two small auditoriums and the ambiance is just amazing. - Who is your movie hero?
My movie hero has to be the iconic Agnès Varda herself, especially in her documentary Les glaneurs et la glaneuse (Agnès Varda, 2000, FR). - Which movie director would you like to be?
I wouldn’t really want to be anyone else because I couldn’t possibly relate to their life experiences, but it would be fun to be a really respected director such as Martin Scorsese because that way I could make crazy films with huge budgets and lots of freedom! - Briefly describe your favorite scene.
One of my favorite scenes is from the Wes Anderson film Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009, US) where Mr. Fox, his son and best friend Kylie are driving on a motorcycle when they see a wolf on top of a hill and try to talk to it. Mr. Fox is very afraid of wolves so the scene is very symbolic and for some reason makes me really emotional. - What are the 3 best European films you have seen in the last year?
Kunstneren og tyven (Benjamin Ree, 2020, NO)
I Vitelloni (Federico Fellini, 1953, IT)
Sans toit ni loi (Agnès Varda, 1985, FR). - Which film character do you most identify with?
I identify heavily with the character Blanche from Éric Rohmer’s film L’ami de mon amie (1987, FR). - Your favorite soundtrack or song?
The most impressive soundtrack I’ve ever heard has got to be the soundtrack to Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (2016, US) by Nicholas Britell. And especially the song called Little’s Theme. - If you had to live in a movie, which one would you like it to be?
I’d live in Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbour Totoro (1988, JP)! The nature is so beautiful and rich and every character in that film is just so sweet and down to earth. - Your life becomes a bio-pic. Who plays the role of you?
I could see Elle Fanning play me really well. - Which talent would you most like to have?
I would love to be able to learn languages really fast! - What is your most treasured possession?
My most treasured possession is a long reed that I picked up when I was biking through some fields once and I’ve hung it on top of my bed because I feel like it brings me good luck! - What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I’ve had a rough upbringing in many ways, so I’m just grateful for myself that I have found a way to live my life in peace without feeling any bitterness or hatred towards the world. - What is your motto?
My motto is: Surrender to the beauty of life.