Run sister run!

Run sister run!, which depicts the growing pains of young girls, is Marja Pyykkö's debut film, the subject of which has won a prize in an international competition.

Marja Pyykkö's film Run sister run!, developed for Solar Films, won second prize at the Nordic Talents pitch competition for students from Nordic film schools in Copenhagen in autumn 2008. Pitching in the film industry is the concise presentation of a film idea. The prize for the pitch was a development grant of NOK 50 000 (around 6 240 €). In the film, Emilia, 15, tries to break free from the pressures of her dependent family and runs into Siiri, who is the same age, and finds that life is far from safe around her.

Director's statement about the heroes of her own life

Difficult choices and mistakes are part of growing up, writes director and screenwriter Marja Pyykkö.

The story of my film is set in a short period of time when young girls are growing out of their families and starting to find their own way towards adulthood and independence. The lives of girls today are not about colouring books and sports. Strong women don't jump out of nowhere – growing up requires a lot of hard choices and mistakes. Our main characters are heroes in their own lives, not victims of time and place. These girls take action and make big decisions that they may not be ready to make.

My aim is to capture the emotions of youth in today's world. To show how it feels to run because you can't get there fast enough by walking and instead of talking you have to shout. How it feels to be arrested for fucking a fat boy in a cemetery and not stop laughing. What it's like to see your little sister's smile fade and you're no longer her hero.

I want to remind you that life is not ruined forever, no matter how badly you screw up. I want to show you the beauty of the moments when life is here and now. Anything is possible and there's always air under your sneakers.
Life is always worth it, no matter what!

Marja Pyykkö
director, screenwriter

Synopsis

15-year-old Emilia is responsible of her family: a little mother to her seven-year-old sister Elsa, a substitute for her single father Juhani when he is away and a kind stepdaughter to Juhani's new wife Tuula. An A average, a place on the school's running team, a nice boyfriend. "Emilia always comes through", as Juhani says. And so it has been, and Emilia hasn't stopped to wonder if she wants to be the one who always makes it. Emilia feels that something is missing in her life, but she doesn't know what it could be.

On the last weekend of her summer holiday, Emilia meets Siiri, 16, who seems to be everything she wants to be: free, brave, independent. The girls' passionate friendship soon replaces everything in Emilia's life. For the first time, she dares to forget her responsibilities and be young.

However, the explosive will to live is getting out of control. Beneath the surface, Emilia begins to hesitate. What is she becoming? At the same time, Siiri's shine begins to fade. Siiri can only be strong by leaning on someone else, and now that someone is Emilia. Again, this time to please Siiri, Emilia must hide her true feelings and be the one who always comes through.

The symbiotic friendship has become a shackle. In the end, we will find out whether Emilia has the courage to break away from her family and Siiri in order to become whole herself. Run sister run! is a film about the beauty and pain of youth.

ROLES INCLUDE:
Emilia – Ada Kukkonen
Siiri – Sara Melleri
Elsa – Anna-Leena Uotila
Juhani – Seppo Pääkkönen
Tuula – Kristiina Halttu
Pentti – Heikki Nousiainen
Esa – Santeri Kinnunen
Tommi – Samuli Niittymäki
Sari – Riitta Havukainen
Iivo – Henri Huttunen
Minna – Anita Ruokolainen
Juulia – Tytti Junna
Antti – Roope Karisto