JDIFF: Lapland Odyssey
Cineworld, Tuesday, 22nd February @ 20.40
Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
In the current Film Ireland issue, the outgoing Irish Film Board chief executive Simon Perry speaks about the need for Ireland to be open to partnerships in Europe and provide support to films from other countries that in turn can lead to films from Ireland attracting support from those countries. Such a ‘cross-pollination of crafts, talents and skills’ (not to mention money) has so far lead to a number of films that originate in another country with an Irish co-producer (and/or talent) involved. The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival provides a platform for such work this year with a number of such co-productions. One of which played to a packed house in Cineworld last night.
Lapland Odyssey is a Finnish road trip comedy directed by Dome Karukoski. It is an Irish-Swedish-Finnish co-production between Ripple World Pictures, Anagram Produktion and Helsinki Filmi Oy and features a soundtrack from Irish composer Lance Hogan. The film tells the story of the road trip Janne and his 2 friends take in an effort to acquire a digibox , which Janne needs to save his flailing relationship with his girlfriend.
They set off to the city of Rovaniemi, a trip that provides them with all manner of trials, tribulations and temptations, involving, amongst other things, naked Russian men with paintball guns, killer lesbians, taser attacks and robot reindeers.
A beautifully shot snow-filled night landscape provides the visual backdrop to a series of comic encounters that chugs along at steady pace set to Hogan’s soundtrack of Irish and Finnish folk music influenced by Ennio Morricone. Hogan attended the screening and spoke of his close-working relationship with director Dome Karukoski and their shared passion for Morricone, with which they both wanted to infuse the soundtrack .
Also in attendance was Jasper Pääkkönen, who plays Kapu, one of Janne’s friends who is romantically addicted to an arcade games that rewards the player’s skill by displaying pictures of women who shed clothing as you advance. Pääkkönen amused the crowd when he spoke of Finland being awarded the tag ‘best country in the world to live in’ in an article in Newsweek and the doubt surrounding this that followed in the country – that people were convinced it was an editorial mistake. Surely, most people thought, Finland couldn’t beat Sweden! In the film there is the footage of the 2003 Men’s Ice Hockey World Championships when Sweden produced a remarkable comeback from 1-5 down to beat Finland 6-5. ‘We were 5-1 up and everyone in Finland knew we were going to lose!’ said Pääkkönen.
Lapland Odyssey played to an appreciative crowd who enjoyed the bizarre encounters the characters in the film got themselves caught up in. The film, which cost €2 million, has grossed over €4 million in Finland and has secured significant distribution in France. It recently won best film, director, script and audience awards at Finland’s national Jussi awards. Judging by its reception last night, its success seems bound to continue.
Steven Galvin
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKYV1N0BMsw[/youtube]
What would the title be for the film release in France?
Alain, it is released in France under the title ‘Very Cold Trip’. Its original Finnish title is ‘Napapiirin sankarit’.