Antti J. Jokinen Puts Emotion Over Violence in Nordic Epic ‘Kalevala’: ‘These Are Men Who Feel. They Are Not Just Raping and Pillaging’

As a seasoned movie enthusiast who’s traveled through the cinematic landscapes of various cultures, I find myself captivated by Antti J. Jokinen‘s journey as a filmmaker. His latest project, “Kalevala: The Story of Kullervo,” is not just another epic tale; it’s a testament to his unwavering dedication to storytelling and cultural preservation.

The epic poem collection, ‘Kalevala,’ derived from Karelian and Finnish folklore and mythology, is known for its violent themes. However, director Antti J. Jokinen, who has adapted the book into his film ‘Kalevala: The Story of Kullervo’ focusing on the tragic hero Kullervo during the 1100s, shows no inclination towards such violence.

The movie isn’t going to be excessively brutal, but there will be fight scenes featuring hefty swords, and our actors have spent a year preparing for them. However, we aim to portray the effects of violence on individuals rather than focusing on the violence itself,” he explains to EbMaster.

In his previous work “Purge,” Jokinen tackled a similar predicament, focusing on the issues of human trafficking and sexual abuse. As the writer Sofi Oksanen insisted, it was important to keep the graphic depictions of violence against women in the story, rather than toning it down excessively. This time around, Jokinen had more creative leeway when dealing with “Kalevala” as its interpretation can vary, and these characters are multidimensional; they aren’t simply portrayed as brutal and savage, but rather as men who possess feelings.

At present, Jokinen is concentrating on a character named Kullervo, who has similarities with one that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien. We initially began our exploration in Lapland and subsequently moved on to North Karelia, where this study is being carried out.

This character exhibits a strong resemblance to Shakespearean figures and his tale unfolds similarly to Greek tragedies. I believe the audience is prepared for this kind of story, as it raises questions about family relationships, whether they are biological or adopted. Regardless of any deception hidden within, would you seek revenge? This thought crosses his mind, but he acknowledges that he won’t significantly alter his tumultuous journey.

“I can’t. It’s the epic of Finland! It’s said that our whole identity comes from it.”

The upcoming film is a joint venture between Storm Inc., led by Jokinen, and ReelMedia, run by Marko Röhr and Johanna Enäsuo. This movie will be distributed in the Nordic region by SF Studios, with REinvent handling its sales. Notably, this production marks Jokinen’s return to larger film projects since the 2020 biopic “Helene,” which centered around painter Helene Schjerfbeck. Following that, he was initially linked to the thriller “Omerta 6/12”, but was later replaced by Aku Louhimies in that project.

He remembers, ‘I aimed to create both films and a five-episode series with ‘Omerta,’ and it left quite an impression on me.’

Originally, I had been dealing with health concerns and was considering creating a more compact film. However, I felt compelled to share this particular story. My spouse remarked, “This is quite grand.” To which I replied, “I can’t seem to find anything else!” I would be delighted to expand this into a series if the opportunity arises. Finland doesn’t have many cultural intellectual properties, but ‘Kalevala’ seems to be one of them. Nevertheless, I will tackle one movie at a time.

The movie features Elias Salonen, Eero Aho, Ilkka Koivula, Olli Rahkonen, Krista Kosonen, and Johannes Holopainen among its actors. Jokinen also emphasizes that the film will offer a stunning display of Finnish landscapes. He explains, “The grandeur of Finnish nature is unparalleled; it would be a tragedy not to capture it. In fact, we spent an entire year searching for the perfect locations. Each day, we travel for an hour or more, and then the whole team must walk another hour to reach pristine forests that have never been filmed before.

He took all fantasy elements out of the story, but Nordic mythology is still a big part of it.

Similar to Native American beliefs, these individuals held certain convictions. They were cautious of unseen entities dwelling within the woods, revered bears, practiced shamanism, and maintained a strong belief that nature is ever-observant. If one’s behavior displeased it, they believed that nature would retaliate.

Jokinen, with experience from the U.S., didn’t intentionally set out to challenge Finland’s most revered scripture.

He’s not casually daydreaming about becoming a representative of Finnish culture while lounging at home, but since he finds himself in this location, he feels it’s appropriate to create these films.

Originally, I harbored grand dreams of making a mark in Hollywood. However, attempting to produce an American film from Finland seemed like an insurmountable task for me. Despite this, I continue to receive offers from Hollywood to direct horror films, even though ‘The Resident’ [with Hillary Swank] didn’t meet my expectations. It performed well initially, but as more people got involved, I lost sight of the film’s original intent. Later, they invited me back to Finland to make ‘Purge.’ I found it captivating and fell in love with the actress Krista Kosonen, who is now my wife.

Though ‘Kalevala’ is widely recognized in this area, many people are unsure of its content. It’s much like the sixth president of Finland, Mannerheim – some may caution against altering it. However, don’t let fear hold you back.

Unlike planned cuts to the culture budget.

Indeed, I share concerns not just for myself, but also for fellow filmmakers fresh out of film schools in Finland. It’s misleading to assume that no one is striving to create larger films here. While they may be limited by finance, they harbor ambitions for more commercially-viable projects, as evident with directors like Jalmari Helander. The government needs to recognize that it’s not just supporting the present, but also nurturing Finland’s cultural legacy through film funding.

I aim for ‘Kalevala’ to be both engaging and grand. I’m committed to staying true to my vision and making it stand out as something special.

2024-09-28 11:17

Antti J. Jokinen Puts Emotion Over Violence in Nordic Epic ‘Kalevala’: ‘These Are Men Who Feel. They Are Not Just Raping and Pillaging’

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