Antti J. Jokinen is shooting an underground movie in Helsinki – Flowers of Evil

Antti J. Jokinen is currently shooting a gang drama In Helsinki, Flowers of Evil, based on his own screenplay. A street-credible story of young people growing up in the suburbs will feature a cast including the rap artist Juno, Viljami Nojonen, Diana Tenkorang, Eero Aho, Alma Pöysti, the rap artist Mikael Gabriel, Krista Kosonen and Tommi Korpela. The soundtrack will feature music from the legendary British punk band The Exploited. The theme song is written by Paleface.

Flowers of Evil will premiere in 2016. The movie is produced by Markus Selin and Jukka Helle and it is distributed by Future Film. The movie is shot without the support of the Finnish Film Foundation.

“There is no way you can make a more street-credible and a more actual movie about Finland today. This story needs to be told now. The situation in Finland cries out for this movie”, says Markus Selin, the producer.

Antti J. Jokinen, the director, says: “I got the idea for this movie after the Gothenburg riots in 2012, I wanted to make something societal, gripping, unpolished. Flowers of Evil is an authentic story of Finland in 2015. It’s not a political film, it doesn’t take sides about the procedures and routines of a modern society. It is my meaning to document the alienation and frustration using the means of a drama feature. I started the screen tests in February and ended up testing 490 youngsters. All the cast that was chosen have experienced the suburban world and their backgrounds can be seen in their characters. The professional actors are professionals – I have appreciated their work for a long time. The most important thing is that I felt it was my duty, as a film director, to do this right now, to show the people in the suburbs without distortion, in a human manner. I think this movie cries out to be made about Finland, right now.”

Main roles
Juno – “Juno”, Jon Korhonen
Sipe – Viljami Nojonen
Alma – Diana Tenkorang
Arttu – Eero Aho
Laura – Alma Pöysti
Maz – Mikael Gabriel
Teacher – Krista Kosonen
Koski – Tommi Korpela

Genre
Street movie

Production company
Solar Films

Producers
Markus Selin, Jukka Helle

Key crew
Screenwriter, director: Antti J. Jokinen
Photography: Matti Eerikäinen
Sound design: Kirka Sainio
Production design: Santtu Toivola
Editing: Kimmo Taavila

TV-rights
MTV

Distributor
Future Film

About the movie
Flowers of Evil is a topical, edgy and ragged story of a family, trying to survive the pressures of suburban restlessness. The main character is Sipe, 15, who has a touching relationship with his stepbrother and his family, which makes the centerpoint of the story. The threat is continuously bubbling under, until the unrest breaks out to violence and riots – with fatal results.