The principle forged of ‘Woman Image’ – Linnea Leino, Aamu Milonoff, Eleonoora Kauhanen
In Girl Picture, Finnish director Alli Haapasalo takes a practical have a look at the trials and tribulations of younger ladies of their youth, exploring their relationships and sexuality. The movie, c0-written by Daniela Hakulinen and Ilona Ahti, received the Viewers Award for World Dramatic Competitors ultimately 12 months’s Sundance Movie Pageant and performs on the IFC Theatre and different choose theatres in New York this week.
The story follows three ladies, Mimmi (Aamu Milonoff), Emma (Linnea Leino) and Rönkkö (Eleonoora Kauhanen), on three consecutive Fridays. Throughout this time, Mimmi, a free spirit, and Emma, a extremely disciplined ice skater, fall in love. Rönkko goes on a quest for a passionate tryst to additional her personal self-understanding. All three ladies discover these newly discovered components of themselves with out judgment or victimization.
Haapasalo shared that the movie’s authentic Finnish title is “Tytöt, Tytöt, Tytöt,” which interprets into “Women, Women, Women.” This phrase is utilized in Finland to disgrace younger ladies. The director is reclaiming this title as a celebration of women as they develop, change and are challenged by life.
I spoke with Haapasalo about what drew her to this story and what was essential for her to get proper whereas filming intimate scenes. We additionally mentioned what components of Woman Image her teenage self may most relate to.
Eleonoora Kauhanen in “Woman Image”
Risa Sarachan: What drew you to this mission?
Alli Haapasalo: Screenwriters Ilona Ahti and Daniela Hakulinen approached me with a therapy in 2014. Their concept for a narrative of adolescent ladies with a condensed time-frame instantly felt relatable and trendy. We have been all pissed off about how few woman characters we had been capable of determine with rising up. I obtained very excited concerning the alternative to take a stab at redefining the illustration of younger ladies on the large display screen.
The script went via a protracted improvement course of, throughout which era not solely did the screenplay change, but in addition we modified and the world round us modified. A dialog about whose tales we’re telling, and who will get to inform them, strengthened. All of us needed to acknowledge and deconstruct unconscious bias – and after I say we, I imply the entire Finnish movie trade, and that features us, the creators of this movie. Beginning with the query of what sort of story about ladies is “sufficiently big” or “essential” to placed on the large display screen. We needed to not get too plot-driven, preserve the story on the pores and skin and permit time to give attention to the intimate experiences of seventeen to eighteen-year-old ladies. My greatest motivation was to attempt to be very lifelike and truthful.
Sarachan: What was your casting course of?
Haapasalo: The script was distinctive within the sense that it had no definition of those ladies’ habitus – all through the writing course of, we have been all the time targeted on their actions, not what they appeared like. So transferring from the web page to actual individuals, I obtained to begin with a completely open thoughts. I intentionally took casting slowly with a purpose to enable time for the dialog that occurs between the script, the directorial imaginative and prescient and the proficient actors at auditions. I wasn’t simply on the lookout for three nice and charismatic actors, however actually I used to be on the lookout for a trio that may play collectively seamlessly. I additionally needed a forged who was prepared to dedicate themselves totally and really feel possession for his or her characters. That meant readiness for a protracted rehearsal course of, the place we constructed not solely the characters but in addition the belief and intimacy that these mates have with one another. After a three-month casting course of, I knew that the superb Aamu Milonoff, Linnea Leino and Eleonoora Kauhanen have been the fitting selections. All of them introduced a lot honesty and authenticity to their characters. It was a really dedicated and collaborative course of.
Sarachan: It was refreshing to observe three ladies unapologetically discover their sexuality. What was essential for you and the group to get proper about capturing these experiences?
Haapasalo: I actually needed to point out sexuality as one thing that’s very pure, each lovely and problematic, a human and an animal want that belongs to all people. Feminine need and feminine pleasure ought to be one thing that we will have a look at with out shock, judgment or fetishizing. We’re used to seeing ladies as objects of need in numerous movies. However even when ladies are topics, they fairly often find yourself having a punishment for precisely that, being a topic. Being energetic, having need, and even merely attempting to determine this stuff out typically leads feminine characters to hazard. We didn’t wish to implement the stereotype of a lady as a sufferer, so we fairly merely eliminated all threats and risks. Mimmi, Emma and Rönkkö discover their identities and sexualities with out ever turning into belittled, shamed, patronized or victimized. The identical goes for queer illustration. Heterosexual {couples} take pleasure in an unlimited privilege in not needing to reply anybody’s questions (or worse) about their sexuality. We needed the connection of Mimmi and Emma to have that very same privilege, so their sexual orientation will not be introduced up as soon as, neither is it a problem for anybody round them.
I don’t wish to query the significance of popping out tales, however I feel that mainstream movie ought to be prepared for queer characters who signify themselves as people and never simply as characters of sexual identities. As for Rönkkö’s story arch, it’s left open whether or not her not feeling pleasure is about asexuality or about her not having discovered what she likes but. I don’t wish to give away the ending of her quest for pleasure, however I promise that it’s unlikely to be the one you’d anticipate.
Sarachan: What lesson from Woman Image do you suppose your teenage self would relate to probably the most?
Haapasalo: I might attempt to persuade teenage me that incompleteness is a human state of being – and one thing that we should always embrace fairly than attempt to repair. As a younger lady, I felt such stress to “determine it out” and be good. However there isn’t any life in perfection. Life lives in imperfections! At 44, I’m attempting to not squeeze the bat so laborious. I’m rather more drawn to the failings that make us human. In fact, the teenage me will solely understand this, when she has extra perspective!
By the way in which, “incompleteness” was one in every of our key concepts for the movie’s aesthetics, because it’s, in fact, an ideal image for adolescent progress. Whether or not they have been inside or exterior imperfections within the characters, performing, places or any facet of the storytelling, I saved intentionally on the lookout for imperfections and inspiring everybody within the group to do the identical. The best instance of that is the zits, furry armpits and braces you see on the characters. These particulars shouldn’t be such a giant deal, actually, but it surely seems that it’s very uncommon to see them in movie.
Sarachan: What do you hope viewers take away from this movie?
Haapasalo: Woman Image doesn’t rant or wag a finger. Quite the opposite, it tries to show the gaze inside and have a look at these ladies’ identities and feelings very actually. However nonetheless, I feel it’s an understatedly radical movie with a robust political undercurrent. The political statements it makes are all born from merely a optimistic and loving have a look at younger ladies. The truth that there isn’t any shaming, no hazard and no anti-queer sentiment is sadly nonetheless radical. (Not for for much longer, I hope!) I hope that individuals have a dialog concerning the themes of the movie, be it with their mates or themselves.
Ultimately, you might say that it is a movie about acceptance and self-acceptance. I hope that individuals stroll away loving these ladies, and perhaps even with a extra appreciative have a look at ladies typically. It’s additionally a giant hope of mine that viewers really feel seen. Particularly ladies and queer of us. As a result of that’s the place we began this complete factor. With the necessity to put identifiable and lifelike woman characters on the large display screen. So that ladies can’t solely really feel checked out by the world, however actually seen.
Sarachan: What are you engaged on subsequent?
Haapasalo: I’m engaged on two characteristic movies, each of that are tales about very fascinating feminine characters. One is ready 120 years up to now and the opposite within the present day, and the principle characters have fully totally different lives. However thematically, they’re additionally associated to one another as characters. Each are working via expectations and calls for that ladies want to interrupt or navigate via with a purpose to be their true selves.
This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.
Girl Picture is now taking part in in theatres at New York’s IFC and different space theatres.
