SAUNA PRESS KIT Director: AJ Annila Writer: Iiro Küttner Cast: Ville Virtanen, Tommi Eronen, Viktor Klimenko, Sonja Petäjäjärvi, Kari Ketonen, Kati Outinen, Vilhelmiina Virkkunen, Ismo Kallio Cinematography: Henri Blomberg Editor: Joona Louhivuori Production Design: Vladimir Bedrich Dvorak, Antti Nikkinen, Ville Vauras Costume Design: Anna Vilppunen Music: Panu Aaltio Sound Design: Panu Riikonen, Vesa Meriläinen Producers: Tero Kaukomaa & Jesse Fryckman / Bronson Club Oy Rating: K15 Runtime: 84 min Finnish Premiere: 24.10.2008 Website: www.washyoursins.com
SYNOPSIS A cruel and beautiful horror film bathing in the Finnish sauna culture, in the no-zone between Christianity and paganism. Year 1595 - the long and brutal war is finally over. Brothers Knut and Erik - who are part of the commission marking the border between Finland and Russia - commit a terrible sin as they leave a young girl to die a horrible death. As the commission crosses the uncharted swamp the girl returns to haunt them, her face pouring endless filth. Weary men find solace from the nameless village and find a sauna - the sauna where all sins are washed away. Seeking forgiveness the brothers step in...
A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR I never wanted to do a horror film. I do like watching them, though; that cathartic experience, when you get safely close to your own fears: violence, cruelty, unjustified evil, loss, obscurity. Maybe that s exactly why, because I didn t want to do a horror film, Sauna isn t just a horror film. I wish it to be something much more, but it isn t up me anymore it s in the viewers hands now. I wanted to do a film about sin and forgiveness. About how forgiveness cannot be gotten or asked from anywhere else than from the people against whom you have done wrong. About how we have to be brave enough to turn back to look at those people face to face. If they aren t here anymore, we can be forgiven only by ourselves. Not by anyone else. I believe that the essence of real horror lies not in what you see or hear as a viewer. It s in real characters. In people who you can really care for despite all their flaws. The real horror lies in what you don t see or hear. It s in the viewer s imagination. AJ Annila
A WORD FROM THE PRODUCER 1 A couple of years ago we did a rather long and interesting trip with AJ Annila that gave birth to a film called Jade Warrior. A film that has evoked both irritation and gratification in its viewers and which has been sold to over 60 countries. Jade Warrior is one of the most widespread Finnish films and a kick start to the Finnish genre cinema. Sauna was set out to be made on two boundary conditions; its budget must be considerably lower than the average budget of a Finnish film, and it must done fast (Jade Warrior took six years). This time it took one and a half years from the idea to the silver screen. Our goal has been to make a film that follows AJ s debut film to the world. The world premiere of Sauna was held on the first weekend of September at the Toronto International Film Festival where a very large group of international buyers, who had clearly been waiting for this Finnish oddity, was present. Once again gratification and irritation shined from the buyers and I dare to say that Sauna will too find its way to many markets. And the story goes on: AJ Annila s touch is beginning to take even more shape after Sauna and it is yet again easier to continue developing, producing and exporting AJ s projects. Tero Kaukomaa tero@bronson.fi p. +41 79 2537638 A WORD FROM THE PRODUCER 2 Bronson Club is a young and innovative production company that produces feature films and serial fiction from a new angle, cost-effectively and without sacrificing quality. The company s main contributors are Tero Kaukomaa, a movie producer of long standing and the founder of the production company Blind Spot Pictures, Jesse Fryckman, the founder of the commercial production company KOMIA Helsinki Oy and Jari Lähteinen, the former producer of domestic content of the popular Finnish TV channel SubTV. The goal of the company is to bring forth new talents, to stand out and differ from traditional domestic productions with content and genres, and to aim to become an internationally competitive company. Jesse Fryckman jesse@bronson.fi p. +358 40 590 9999
ACTORS Ville Virtanen Erik Spore Ville Virtanen (born 1961) graduated from the Finnish Theatre Academy in 1999 and has also studied dramaturgy in the Department of Film and Television of the University of Arts and Design Helsinki. He is also renowned as a theatre director, a writer and one of the founders of the improvisational theatre group Stella Polaris. Before Sauna he has acted in several TV series, such as Sincerely Yours in Cold Blood (2002 2008), which brought him the Venla prize for best actor in 2003, and feature films, such as A Respectable Tragedy (1998) by Kaisa Rastimo, Upswing (2003) by Johanna Vuoksenmaa and Black Ice (2007) by Petri Kotwica. Tommi Eronen Knut Spore Tommi Eronen (born 1968) graduated from the Finnish Theatre Academy in 1995. He has acted in many TV series, such as Tahdon asia (2005), and feature films, such as AJ Annila s debut film Jade Warrior (2006), Producing Adults (2004) by Aleksi Salmenperä and Bad Luck Love (2000) by Olli Saarela, which brought him the Jussi prize for best support actor in 2001. After Sauna he will be seen in The House of Branching Love (2009), an upcoming film by Mika Kaurismäki. Viktor Klimenko Semenski Viktor Klimenko (born 1942) has earlier acted in Helsinki City Theatre, some television roles and the last film directed by Matti Kassila in the Palmu series, Vodka, Mr. Palmu (1969). Above all, he is renowned as a singer with many goldselling albums and a long-standing career as a show artist. Kari Ketonen Musko Kari Ketonen (born 1971) graduated from the Finnish Theatre Academy in 1997. He has acted in several theatre plays and TV series, such as Ketonen & Myllyrinne (2006 2008) ja Protectors (2008). He is especially remembered from Pelicanman (2004), which brought him a nomination for the Jussi prize for best actor in 2005, and Tali-Ihantala 1944 (2007).
Rain Tolk Rogosin Rain Tolk (born 1977) is a self-taught Estonian actor. He did his breakthrough in his homeland in the highly controversial, satirical TV series Esto-TV. Later he has acted in many films, such as Tühirand (2006) and Sügisball (2007) by Veiko Õunpuu. He will also be seen in the newest film by Õunpuu, The Temptation of St. Tony (2009), co-produced by Bronson Club. Kati Outinen Eukko Kati Outinen (born 1961) graduated from the Finnish Theatre Academy in 1984. Outinen, who has also served as a professor in acting, has over the years acted in numerous theatre plays, TV series and feature films. Her most well-known film appearances are, of course, the many lead roles in films by Aki Kaurismäki, such as The Match Factory Girl (1990), Drifting Clouds (1996) and The Man Without a Past (2002). as well as her first film role in Right on, Man! (1980), by Tapio Suominen, which is unforgettable. In 2002, The Man Without a Past brought her the prize for best actress in the Cannes Film Festival. Sonja Petäjäjärvi Poika 14-year-old Sonja Petäjäjärvi came to the auditions of Sauna through a Finnish casting agency. Sonja had never acted in any films before Sauna, but she impressed director AJ Annila right away with her courage and ingenuousness.
International sales: Tero kaukomaa Blind Spot Pictures +41792537638 tero@blindspot.fi Production Company: Bronson Club Jesse Fryckman +358405909999 jesse@bronson.fi