Frozen City
Frozen City will tear a family apart. Aku Louhimies' uncompromising film was inspired by Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver. The film, which has won awards at international festivals, premiered in Finland on 17 November 2006.
After the award-winning Frozen Land, director Aku Louhimies completed Frozen City, a story in the same themes, borrowing the main character's profession from Martin Scorsese's masterpiece Taxi Driver. Louhimies also placed references to Scorsese's film in the film.
Named Frozen City, the film won an international critics' award at its very first festival in Karlovy Vary. The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) was impressed by the powerful expression of Louhimies' film and the way it addressed a universal social problem.
"The story of Frozen City reflected a psychologically charged atmosphere and an unusual narrative rhythm," the jury praised in its statement.
Another important recognition for Frozen City was the Europa Cinemas Label award, which supports and promotes the distribution of its award-winning films in cinemas in different countries. In addition, the International Federation of Film Societies (FICC) gave Frozen City an honourable mention, even though Finland is not a member of the FICC.
Since Karlovy Vary, Frozen City has had weekly festival screenings around the world.
According to Jussi Mäkelä, Managing Director of Buena Vista, Frozen City is Louhimies' best film, "beating the four-star Frozen Land by one star". Frozen City, originally planned for a festival tour, was filmed before Frozen Land, but was postponed due to the success of Frozen Land. The Finnish premiere of Frozen City was on 17 November 2006.
5.2.2007
Frozen City, a film based on the TV series Irtiottoja, collected five Jussi awards on TV gala in Helsinki on Sunday 4 February 2007. The film was awarded for Best Director (Aku Louhimies), Best Script (Paavo Westerberg and Mikko Kouki), Best Editing (Samu Heikkilä), Best Actor (Janne Virtanen) and Best Actress (Susanna Anteroinen).
The story of a man for whom losing everything is just the beginning
Frozen City focuses on the story of Veli-Matti, the taxi driver from Aku Louhimies' award-winning Irtiottoja series. Veli-Matti's (Janne Virtanen) life has been upended after his bored wife Hanna (Susanna Anteroinen) unexpectedly goes her own way. His mother's anticipated return home brings the strained marriage to the breaking point. In the redistribution, the husband suffers one defeat after another and loses his job as well as his family. The lonely, empty-headed Veli-Matti is fed up with his loony neighbour. After that, he has no hope of returning to his old life.
The film is based on a screenplay by Paavo Westerberg and Mikko Kouki. The crew is largely the same as for Frozen Land, which won eight Jussis this year. And Frozen City, with its slick editing, is as uncompromising in atmosphere and narrative as Frozen Land. The events in Frozen City are based on a plot line from Louhimies' award-winning series, Irtiottoja.
FESTIVALS
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic, 30.6.-8.7.2006, IN COMPETITION
Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia, 26.7.-13.8.2006
Filmtältet, Malmöfestivalen, Sweden, 18.-25.8.2006
Montreal World Film Festival, Canada, 24.8.-4.9.2006
Helsinki International Film Festival Love & Anarchy, Finland, 14.-24.9.2006
Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival / 2nd Eurasia Film Festival, Turkey, 16.-23.9.2006, IN COMPETITION
Athens International Film Festival, Greece, 21.9.-1.10.2006
Copenhagen Film Festival, Denmark, 21.9.-1.10.2006
Almaty, Kazakhstan, International Film Festival Eurasia, 25.9.-1.10.2006, IN COMPETITION
Reykjavik International Film Festival, Iceland, 28.9.-8.10.2006
Mill Valley Festival, CA, USA, 5.-15.10.2006
Warsaw International Film Festival, Poland, 6.-15.10.2006
Flanders International Film Festival, Ghent, Belgium, 10.-21.10.2006, IN COMPETITION
Athens, Greece, 19th Panorama of European Cinema, 12.-22.10.2006, IN COMPETITION
Lübeck, Nordische Filmtage, Germany, 1.-5.11.2006
Denver International Film Festival, CO, USA, 9.-19.11.2006
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, Taiwan, 10.-25.11.2006
Vilnius, Lithuania, Scanorama, 10.-30.11.2006
Paris, France, Europa Cinemas' Annual Conference, Cinema l'Entrepot, 16.11.2006
Bratislava, Slovak Republic, International Film Festival 1.-9.12.2006
St. Petersburg, Finnish Film Week, Russia, 1.-7.12.2006
London, Barbican, Finnish Film Week, 7.-13.12.2006
AWARDS
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic, 30.6.-8.7.2006
FIPRESCI Award
Europa Cinemas Label Award
FICC Special Mention
The Flanders International Film Festival, Ghent, Belgium, 10.-21.10.2006
Best Director
Nordic Film Festival Lübeck, Germany, 1-5.11.2006
Special Mention of Interfilm Church Jury
PREMIERE IN FINLAND
17.11.2006
DIRECTOR
Aku Louhimies
PRODUCER
Markus Selin
SCRIPT
Paavo Westerberg and Mikko Kouki
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Rauno Ronkainen
SET DESIGN
Sattva-Hanna Toiviainen
COSTUME DESIGN
Nina Lindholm
SOUND AND Editor
Samu Heikkilä
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Jukka Helle
CO-PRODUCER
Aku Louhimies
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Mika Karttunen
MARKETING PRODUCER
Jussi Lepistö
HEAD OF PR
Rampe Toivonen
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Solar Films
SHOOTING PERIOD
Winter 2003
SUPPORT FROM FINNISH FILM FOUNDATION
20 000 €
DURATION
91 min
COPIES
14
