Monday, May 23, 2011

Verna

FI 2011. PC: Taideteollinen Korkeakoulu: Elokuvataiteen ja lavastustaiteen laitos. P: Kaisa ”Kaika” Astikainen. D: Mirkka Kallio. SC: Ilona Ahti. DP: Hans Barck - film by Kodak - equipment: P. Mutasen Elokuvakonepaja - lab: Finn-Lab - Bestlight transfer and colour definition: General Post Inka Ruohela - light equipment: Tazu Ovaska Valofirma. AD: Santtu Toivola. COST: Marianne Siponmaa. Make-up: Reetta Peltokangas. M: Mari Sainio. Flute: Johanna Martikainen. Songs of the curtains: Iida Antola. M post-production: Mari Sainio, Olli Halonen. S: Meri Tikkala. ED: Heikki-Pekka Vaara. CAST: Lotta Kaihua (Verna), Manuela Bosco (Selma), Olavi Uusivirta (von Bismarck), Annu Valonen (Satu), Satu Mikkelinen (Heli). - Möykyt / the blobs: Juho Sarno, Ilona Ahti, Jussi Hartonen, Niko Liinamaa, Irati Godostidi. - The dancing curtains: Dana Benlakhdar, Ting-Yun ”Bubble” Huang. - Verna's body double: Miila Sillfors. 14'11". Viewed on Vimeo, 22 May 2011

A double dream film. In the first dream, photographs attached to a mirror are retouched by a marker pen and the female dreamer takes the lyre away from the Musidora reincarnation. In the second dream, there is a black and white Caligari-Cocteau-Feuillade world beyond the mirror, and the male dreamer is lured by the Musidora creature to play on a 1980s game computer. The female avatars of the night are clad in black tights like the superheroines of the screen since Protéa and Irma Vep. Between the dreams we witness Verna's day at the office with gossiping female colleagues (how magic is Make?).

There is a sense of play in this student movie. Mirkka Kallio appropriates cinematic references and makes them her own, avoiding pastiche. Transitions from scenes awake to scenes dreamt are fluid. The soundscape is rich and musical. There are singing curtains in the second dream. The end credits are sung.

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