A documentary about Aki Kurismaki/ How did the abandoned factory become a movie theater?
“Cinema Laika” is a documentary about Aki Kurismaki, which shows him building a cinema in an abandoned factory.
Charso Press: According to Variety, the documentary “Cinema Laika” is a film that shows how Aki Kurismäki in the small town of Karkila in Finland turned an abandoned factory into a movie theater.
Veliko Vidak, who directed this film, filmed it in harmony with Kurismaki’s cinematic style.
This documentary provides an opportunity for the audience to immerse themselves in the realm of the Finnish master, interact with his peers including Jim Jarmusch, and fully immerse themselves in the world of Kurismäki’s cinema.
Karkila is a small village in Finland that in the last century relied solely on metallurgical activities, and now Kurismäki and his poet and writer friend Mika Latti are turning an old foundry into a movie theater called Kino Laika. In this way, Kurismaki and the residents of the village shape this cinema using recycled wood and metal and furniture that belonged to them.
It is surrounded by vintage Cadillacs, motorcycles, stone pillars and the awe-inspiring beauty of nature to convey the magical nature of cinema as a place where magic manifests itself in its profound capacity to create change.
Tanya Dimitrakopoulou, the head of the “Mech Factory” film production company, said: “In an era where the closure of cinema halls has become one of its characteristics, Aki Kurismaki’s efforts in Karkila become more important.” In this documentary, the director skillfully portrays the deep impact of cinema on society.
Vidak is an artist and filmmaker from Croatia. He exhibits regularly in France and his works have been shown all over the world. “Cinema Laika” is his first documentary.
This film was first shown on June 24 at the 37th edition of the “Cinema Rotritowato” festival.
“Match Factory” offers all Kurismaki movies.