Magnificent7 Diary/ 7
Director and main character Petri Luukkainen accompanied by cinematographer Jesse Jokinen came to the stage after the screening of their film ”My Stuff” to receive a diploma and 1000€ from local BelMedic Clinic as a recognition of a ”healthy” film, healthy for your soul, an experiment into seeing what we really need.
The discussion in the VIP room, again full house as there was a full house in the big hall in the Sava Centre – it’s been like that all six first nights – took off in a very good atmosphere with two very nicely dressed Finnish filmmakers, who took us with charm with stories from the shooting over a year. Petri said that he was sick in the beginning of the film, minus 30 degrees it was in Finland at that time where he lies on the floor in an empty flat using his overcoat as duvet! And he had a crisis in the middle of the shooting and ”thanks God that I met Maia”, who comes in as a character and is there after the 365 days, when the storage room is opened.
To be the director and the main character… he felt a bit skizofrenic sometimes… but the one and only lovely grandmother was on many occasions the one to visit and get advice from. She stands out with her mildness and wisdom and it was easy to film the scenes with her, Jesse Jokinen added.
Conclusions? What did you get out of it? Were questions asked to Petri Luukkainen. I learned that ”All you Need is Love”, he said and added that without grandmother and Maia, it would have been a real boring movie. It is not, its is sweet and charming.
The film has had a fine run in cinemas in Finland and theatrical releases are planned in the UK, Germany, Sweden and Japan!
The last film of the 2014 Magnificent7 festival runs tonight, ”Faith Connections” by French/Indian director Pan Nalin, see below.
