Finland’s Official Submission for Foreign Language Film at the Oscars® and Golden Globes® 2014

A FILM BY PIRJO HONKASALO NIGHT WWW.CONCRETENIGHT.COM

PRESS WORLD SALES PRODUCTION COMPANY Silversalt PR Film Republic Bufo Ltd. Thessa Mooij Xavier Henry-Rashid Helena Mielonen [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 212.729.7071 +44 78 35 999 112 +358 41 532 3394 www.silversaltpr.com www.filmrepublic.biz www.bufo.fi CONCRETE NIGHT I S A DREAMLIKE ODYSSEY OF YOUNG SIMO

WHO, OVER THE COURSE OF A NIGHT IN

THE HUMID AND STUNNING HELSINKI,

FOLLOWS HIS CRIMINAL OLDER BROTHER

THROUGH A SERIES OF FATEFUL EVENTS. ABOUT THE FILM SIMOis a 14-year-old boy in search of himself, unable yet to decode and interpret life around him. He and his big brother Ilkka are the sons of a helpless and unpredictable single mother. Their chaotic home is located deep in the heart of a concrete jungle in Helsinki. Ilkka has one day of freedom left before starting his prison sentence and their mother persuades Simo to spend this last night with him.

During the course of the day and night spent roaming around Helsinki, the brothers witness incidents they would rather not have seen. Vulnerable Simo is not equipped to justify what he sees or delude himself – seeing things accurately as they are. To him, the unfiltered world seems unbearable. Finally a casual encounter with a photographer, whose intentions Simo misreads, launches him into blind fear. In the panic-stricken violence that ensues, Simo finds his missing identity, his true face.

Director Pirjo Honkasalo wrote the film script based on the hard-driving novel Concrete Night by Pirkko Saisio. Published in 1981, the novel foreshadowed the disconnected world we live in today. DIRECTOR PIRJO HONKASALO DIRECTOR

Pirjo Honkasalo is a highly established director, She both acts as director and cinematographer in cinematographer and screenwriter who has won each of her documentaries. Concrete Night – Finland’s numerous awards for her work. She directed official entry for the Academy Awards and Golden several feature films in the 1970’s and 1980’s Globes – marks Pirjo’s return to fiction, although together with Pekka Lehto, e.g. Flame Top in the she plans to continue making documentaries as well. Cannes competition in 1980. A few years later she directed the award- winning Fire Eater, which received the AFI Grand Prix from a jury headed by SELECT FILMOGRAPHY: Michael Cimino. 2013 Concrete Night In the 1990’s she turned to feature documentaries, 2009 ITO – A Diary of an Urban Priest directing the award-winning The Trilogy of the Sacred 2004 The 3 Rooms of Melancholia and the Satanic (Mysterion, Tanjuska and the 7 Devils and (three prizes at , Atman). She also made the visually arresting The FIPRESCI prize at Thessaloniki 3 Rooms of Melancholia, a story of how Russian and Documentary Festival) Chechen children were psychologically affected by 1998 Fire-Eater (Premiere at Locarno Film Festival, the war, which was shown in Venice and Sundance. AFI Grand Prix, two awards at Locarno Film After Melancholia she was invited to Japan to direct a Festival) film in Tokyo coming out with her film 1996 Atman (Joris Ivens Award at IDFA) DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT ITO – A Diary of an Urban Priest. 1993 Tanjuska and the 7 Devils When I read the novel Concrete Night in 1981, to portray 1991 Mysterion (screened at Berlinale’s Panorama its 14 years old protagonist Simo became like an obsession She has had well over twenty retrospectives Programme 1992) to me. His gaze of the world around him was full of odd and of her work worldwide, acted as a member of 1985 Da Capo (Premiere at Cannes Directors’ merciless beauty. To treat his fragile and still almost hollow several international juries and is actively giving Fortnight) identity would need a lot of tenderness and wisdom. Would international master classes. She is also Finland’s 1983 250 Grams (Premiere at Venice Film Festival) I have it. It took me thirty years to come and realise my first female cinematographer to shoot a feature film. 1980 Flame Top (Cannes Official Selection) obsession.

August 2013, Pirjo Honkasalo “AFTER ALL, WE DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO

ANOTHER PERSON’S HEAD, DO WE? ” ABOUT THE CAST JARI VIRMAN (born 1976) graduated from Theatre Academy Helsinki in 2005 and has worked as a freelance actor in theater, film, TV and radio. Pirjo Honkasalo screen tested him for the role of Ilkka in Concrete Night ten years earlier. She was totally taken by his skills and temperament, but she was meanwhile offered to direct feature documentaries around the world and Concrete Night was put on hold. When she finally decided to return to fiction, Concrete Night was the film, no question. She immediately called Jari, delighted to find he was even more fit for the role of Ilkka than ten years earlier. Ilkka’s role in Concrete Night is his first major role in a feature fiction.

JOHANNES BROTHERUS (born 1997) was discovered by Pirjo Honkasalo in a screen test that turned out to be a profound experience. His obvious sensitivity and rare courage to look within himself in front of the camera separated him from the other boys. Later Honkasalo found out that Johannes had some experience in acting in theater and dance. Simo in Concrete Night is his first major role in a feature film. JUHAN ULFSAK (born in the in 1973) is one of the most respected actors of his generation in Estonia. He graduated as an actor from Viljandi Culture College in 1995 and from 1999 to 2009 worked in the Von Krahl Theatre in Tallinn. Since then he has acted in numerous feature films and theater plays in Estonia and abroad. His most recent works include roles in the critically acclaimed films The Temptation of St. Tony and Autumn Ball by Estonian filmmaker Veiko Õunpuu as well as in Mushrooming by Estonian director Toomas Hussar. He has been nominated several times for the Estonian Theatre Awards and won best actor in 2012. Pirjo Honkasalo saw him in Chekhov’s Seagull at the Von Krahl ANNELI KARPPINEN Theatre. His charisma and his bright insight in interpreting his role made a great (born 1964) has had a long career in theater as an actress impression on her, as well as his strong with a master’s degree in theater and drama from the voice. Since then she could not see anyone University of Tampere and a degree in acting from the same else in the role of Man in Concrete Night. university. She has been an acclaimed actress and played mostly in leading roles in Oulu City Theatre and Jyväskylä City Theatre. Pirjo Honkasalo first saw her acting in the TV series Tehdas, written by Pirkko Saisio. She was taken with her fragile sensitivity and vivid countenance and could immediately see her as the well-meaning but unpredictable Mother of the two boys in Concrete Night. This is Anneli’s first major role in a feature film.

PIRKKO SAISIO NIELS PAGH (born 1949) is one of the most well-known authors in ANDERSEN Finland. She is a trained actor in addition to having been (born 1966) has edited over 250 films to date, many of ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL CREW nominated for the Finlandia Prize (the most prestigious which have received wide international recognition. literary award in Finland) five times. When she won in He has worked with such acknowledged filmmakers as 2003 for her novel The Letter of Farewell (Punainen erokirja), Joshua Oppenheimer, Jan Troell and Gabriel Axel. He she strongly criticised the bidding of art and donated has edited, among others, the Oscar® nominated films the entire prize to SETA – LGBTI Rights in Finland The Act of Killing (2012) by Joshua Oppenheimer, Pathfinder organisation. Saisio is also a well-known playwright and (1987) by Nils Gaup, the Emmy nominated documentary her adaptation of Concrete Night has been staged in Peru, Prostitution Behind the Veil (2004) by Nahid Persson and Pirjo Venezuela and as well as Finland. Honkasalo’s famous The 3 Rooms of Melancholia (2004). PENTTI VALKEASUO (born 1950) has now worked with Pirjo Honkasalo for over PETER FLINCKENBERG 30 years. Valkeasuo is by far one of the most experienced JAN ALVERMARK art directors and production designers in Finland, having (born 1971) is one of the most courageous and experienced (born 1951) is one of the most experienced and talented worked on such films as The Border by Lauri Törhönen cinematographers of the younger film generation in sound designers in Sweden. He has worked with acclaimed (2007) and The Interrogation by Jörn Donner (2009). He also Finland. He has worked both in documentaries and directors such as Roy Anderson and Ruben Östlund. Besides received the Jussi Award (Finnish equivalent to the Oscars) features, and his latest works include the Oscar® documentaries and feature films he has also worked on art as part of the best working crew in Honkasalo’s film nominated short Do I Have to Take Care of Everything? installations (eg. together with Marianne Lindberg De Geer). Flame Top in 1981. (by Selma Vilhunen, 2012), Miss Blue Jeans (by Matti Kinnunen, 2012), Love and Engineering (by Tonislav Hristov, 2014) and Pixadores (by Amir Escandari, 2014).

JANI LEHTINEN (born 1970) has worked in over 40 feature films in Finland and abroad and is one of the most creative and experienced gaffers to come out of Finland. He has worked on films such as David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Lasse Hallström’s The Hypnotist (2012) and Antti Jokinen’s The Purge (2012). ABOUT THE PRODUCERS

BUFO

Founded in 2007 by producers Misha Jaari, Mark Lwoff and screenwriter Vesa Virtanen, Bufo has produced a number of fiction films of which many have received inter- national recognition. Based in Helsinki, the ambitious and thrill-seeking company concentrates on plot-driven and meaningful stories that can also entertain big audiences. PLATTFORM MAGIC HOUR Bufo’s films all share the elements of clear artistic vision, PRODUKTION FILMS innovation and high quality. Plattform Produktion is one of Sweden’s most innovative Founded in 1984 by producer Lise Lense-Møller production houses, founded in 2002 by producer Erik the company has produced and co-produced Lwoff and Jaari have produced for Bufo such films as Hemmendorff and director Ruben Östlund. Plattform a wealth of films – both feature films, creative Korso (2014) directed by Akseli Tuomivaara, The Good Produktion’s key activity is the production of feature films, documentaries, and shorts for children. Most Son (2011) by Zaida Bergroth and The Interrogation (2010) documentaries and shorts. The company has already of the films have been international co-produc- by Jörn Donner. Currently Bufo is involved in several gained international recognition for producing engaging tions, starting with 300 Miles to Heaven, a Danish/ productions with acclaimed European directors such as and auteur-¬driven films including Turist/Force Majeure Polish/French feature film directed by Maciej Estonian Veiko Õunpuu and the Academy Award Winner (2014), PLAY (2011), Incident By A Bank (2010), Involuntary Dejczer, which received European Film Acad- Jörn Donner, whose film Armi Alive! about the founder of (2008), The Guitar Mongoloid (2004), Twin Brothers (2011), emy Award for Best Young Film in 1989, and the iconic Finnish design company Marimekko is now in The Extraordinary Ordinary Life Of José González (2010) and the Cannes Junior in 1990. Recent international post-production. Greetings From The Woods (2009). Plattform Produktion releases include the Oscar-nominated Burma VJ, co-‐produces a few selected international feature films. a feature documentary by Anders Østergaard, Furthermore, Bufo has been involved in a number of Eu- Currently in production are DAU by Ilya Khrzhanovsky which took home 51 international awards and ropean co-productions, such as the 3D stop-motion feature in co‐production with Phenomen Films, Essential Filmpro- Into Eternity by Michael Madsen with 18 interna- Lisa Limone directed by Mait Laas and produced together duktion GmbH and Coproduction Office, and Bypass by tional awards. Østergaard’s next film 1989 will with the Estonian Nuku Film, and The Role directed by Duane Hopkins in co-¬production with Third Films. be released in November 2014, and Madsen’s Konstantin Lopushansky and produced together with the next film The Visit in January 2015. Russian Proline Film.

DETAILS PRINCIPAL CREW

Director: Pirjo Honkasalo Screenplay: Pirkko Saisio, Pirjo Honkasalo (adapted from Pirkko Saisio’s novel Betoniyö published in 1981) Director of photography: Peter Flinckenberg F.S.C. Gaffer: Jani Lehtinen Production design: Pentti Valkeasuo Set dresser & property master: Otso Linnalaakso Sound recording: Karri Niinivaara Costume design: Saija Siekkinen Make-up design: Pia Mikkonen Assistant director: Heini Junkkaala Production manager: Sanna Östman Production coordinator: Helena Mielonen Location manager: Jonas Nourisson Editing: Niels Pagh Andersen Grading: Jussi Myllyniemi VFX: Trix Sound design: Jan Alvermark Music: Karl Frid, Pär Frid Sound mix: Niels Arild PRINCIPAL CAST Producers: Misha Jaari, Mark Lwoff Production company: Bufo Ltd Johannes Brotherus (Simo) Co-Producers: Erik Hemmendorff, Jari Virman (Ilkka) Marie Kjellson / Plattform Produktion, Juhan Ulfsak (Man) Lise Lense-Møller, Anneli Karppinen (Mother) Cecilia Valsted / Magic Hour Films TECHNICAL INFO AWARDS, NOMINATIONS

Original title: Betoniyö « Finland’s Official Submission for Foreign Language Film at the Oscars® and English title: Concrete Night Golden Globes® 2014 Countries of production: Finland, Sweden, Denmark « Nomination for Nordic Council Film Prize 2014 Year of production: 2013 « Long-listed for the European Film Awards 2014 Language: Finnish with English subtitles « A Golden Arena for Best Feature Film at Pula Film Festival in Croatia, July 12-26 2014 Genre: Fiction/drama « Officine Lab Award to the Best not leading Actor to Jari Virman Running time: 96 min at European Film Festival in Lecce, April 28 – May 3 2014 Shooting format: Alexa Studio HD, anamorphic lenses « Screening format: DCP 6 Jussi Awards (The Finnish equivalent to the Oscars): Best Film, Director (Pirjo Screen ratio: 2.39:1 Honkasalo), Cinematography (Peter Flinckenberg), Set Design (Pentti Valkeasuo), Frames per second: 24 Sound Design (Jan Alvermark), Editing (Niels Pagh Andersen) Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 FESTIVALS Colour and black and white « World premiere: Toronto International Film Festival’s Masters Series, September 2013 Financiers: Finnish Film Foundation, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, « St. Petersburg International Film Festival (Competition Programme), September 20th 2013 Swedish Film Institute, Danish Film Institute « Broadcasters: YLE, DR Warsaw International Film Festival (International Competition), October 11–20 2013 Official website: www.concretenight.com « Thessaloniki International Film Festival, November 1-10 2013 Trailer: http://vimeo.com/bufocompany/concretenight « Plus Camerimage – The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (Main Competition), November 16-23 2013 « Rotterdam International Film Festival, January 22 – February 2 2014 « Göteborg International Film Festival (Dragon Award Competition), January 24 - February 2 2014

See full list at: www.concretenight.com/screenings “STUNNING TO LOOK AT AND CHILLING AT ITS CORE, CONCRETE NIGHT

IS A TALE OF INNOCENCE LOST IN A PLACE

WHERE HAVING RETAINED INNOCENCE AT ALL IS

SOMETHING OF A FEAT.”

– John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter