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Wednesday 7.3.2001
Basic Idea of the Tampere Short Film Festival Harmonious
"Internationality, the leading idea of the Tampere Short Film Festival, is in itself perfectly harmonious, moving in time and always challenging."
Pertti Paltila is the chairperson of the Film Festival.
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For Pertti Palttila the leading idea of the Festival is still clear. The head of International Affairs at Tampere has for many years worked for the Tampere Film Festival as well.
From the Bottom of the Festival's Success to a New Wave of Finnish Film
This is Paltila's last festival sitting as the chairman of the festival committee; for almost 30 years he has been the festival director and chairman of the festival government. The city of Tampere had withdrawn its financial support after the 1971 festival. The future of the event was at stake. The decision of continuing to support the festival was made in 1972. Paltila became member of the festival organising committee and festival government acting as a kind of guarantor for the city of Tampere.
"Film as a serious interest wasn't close to my heart when I came along. I had some experience in organisational activities and in handling international affairs in university politics."
"However, as a whole the result of working almost 30 years for the festival is positive. I have gained new thoughts and good friends. Sometimes this interest has been really hard work that requires going deeply into the subject and becoming absorbed in it."
"The Tampere Film Festival has been significant for the Finnish film; it has played an educational role. The most important Finnish film makers have presented their films and ideas there or have participated in the competitions and surveys."
"In my opinion, the new wave of Finnish film started in the beginning of the 1980s with films of the Kaurismäki brothers Mika and Aki; their short film Valehtelija (The Liar) got the Risto Jarva Award in Tampere in 1981."
Impressive Documentaries and Social Criticism
Film reflects the world and the problems of the world without delay, more directly than other forms of art. Documentaries, and often animations as well, react quickly to events in our society.
"This kind of topicality and interest in current issues has sometimes been politically difficult for the festival organisers. The Vietnam War, civil movements, the criticism of society in Eastern Europe and the New Left in Western Europe were pictured in short movies."
"Impressive festival documentaries have come, among others, from Yugoslavia, where the film production has now gone back. Strong short film countries are now Canada, Great Britain and France."
"The role of documentary film has changed. Nowadays there are many character films and long development cycles are described. Film education has increased the amount of fiction in the new production."
"Personally I prefer documentaries to fiction."
Own Favourites Strong East European Quality
Paltila picks out three examples from his own favourites through the years. The film Prozor (The Window) by Yugoslavian Zivko Nikolic, 1976, tells the story of a farmer woman's everyday life in the mountains.
"I regard this film as a symbol for why the Tampere Film Festival has meant so much to me personally."
Malj (The Sledge-Hammer) from 1977, directed by Yugoslavian Aca Ilicic, is a symbolic story of the fate of weak individuals. The Polish film Szczurolap (The Rat Catcher), 1986, directed by Andrzej Czarneck, is a powerful analogy to the aims of an authoritarian society to destroy dissidents.
According to Paltila, the Tampere Film Festival looks into a bright future. The future of short movies looks good, thanks to television and its many channels.
"The short film feels better than ever."
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