Warren Tessler: What is Rintama about?

Bengt Svahn: Rintama is about two Finnish soldiers at the end of World War Two, or more precisely, 1944, at the end of the Russo-Finnish War of Continuation. At this time, the Finnish Army was retreating from the advancing Russian forces. The two characters, Johan and Markku, have been separated from their unit and are trying to make their way back to their own lines. They are surrounded by real or imagined enemies and they also have to deal with their personal differences. Within the context of the war, there are also the conflicts between these two characters, how they deal with their situation and each other.

Anders Silling: Actually, the title Rintama is the Finnish word for “the front” or “frontline.” It does not only refer to the frontline between the Finns and the Russians, but also alludes to the psychological frontlines between Johan and Markku.

WT: Was the impetus in making Rintama in any way influenced by recent world events, such as the Iraq War?

AS: No, not really. At least not from the start. The idea about making a film set in Finland in the time of World War Two came earlier. War is unfortunately a constant actuality in our time, though.

BS: The idea to make Rintama riginally came from the historical context of the relations between the peoples of Finland and Sweden during World War Two. The Finns suffered tremendously and there was a great sympathy for Finland among the Swedish people. A lot of Swedes actually volunteered to fight in the Finnish Army.

AS: In Finland even today the war seems to be in the minds and memories of people and can evoke strong feelings.

BS: To get back to the recent Iraq conflict, I agree with Anders. There was no direct influence from the Iraq War, but of course we were very aware of what was going on in Iraq. It certainly might have influenced the production in a more indirect way.

WT: Is Rintama a war film or an anti-war film?

AS: War film or anti-war film? I believe Samuel Fuller once said that all great war films are anti-war films. Well, seriously, in Rintama, we don’t really go into the issues of pro-war or anti- war. Instead the film deals with other topics.

BS: Yes, the war in Finland provides a setting, a situation, where these two characters are in danger and distress and how they deal with it. If we had shot the film in the USA for example, it could just as well have been , say, a western; two cowboys trying to make their way through hostile terrain or maybe two Indian braves hiding from the Cavalry. Basically, Rintama is about two human beings rather than about war.

AS: I guess you could say that Rintama is a “buddy movie” of a kind. It´s about differences and comradeship more than anything else. Like Bengt said, It’s about two human beings: Johan and Markku.

WT: What are your thoughts on the influence or encroachment of the American film industry in foreign markets such as your own?

AS: The American film industry has a very strong influence on the Swedish market and most of the films shown in Swedish movie theatres are American films. Of course we like to see a change to more Swedish films and films made outside the Hollywood film industry. This does not necessarily mean that American films are bad films. We must not forget that all American films aren’t made in Hollywood and that there are a lot of interesting independent productions from the USA.

BS: It’s not that we want to ban American films or Hollywood films. Certainly not. But there should be more alternatives to the Hollywood block busters and mainstream films.

WT: Tell us about the general consensus of Scandinavian audiences in regards to more “stimulating” films such as Rintama.

BS: Like Anders said, Hollywood has a strong influence on the Swedish market and most people in Sweden go to the movie theatres to see mainstream films – domestic or Hollywood - rather than films like Rintama. For example, I guess you could say that people in Sweden who go to see Ingmar Bergman films are basically the same kind of people as the people in America that go to see Ingmar Bergman films.

AS: Most Swedish films are also mainstream films, like romantic comedies or action films, rather than what you refer to as more “stimulating” films.

WT: What were the technical aspects of the film?

AS: It was shot on DVCAM. We shot it in the vicinity of Nykarleby, a small town in Finland, where the film and television department of the Swedish School of Polytechnics is located. Students at this school helped us with the film, both as crew and actors.

BS: Yes, they were all great to work with. We managed to shoot the whole film in about two week’s time. The editing also took about two weeks and was in some ways simplified by the fact that we used long takes and consequently didn’t need a lot of cuts. Actually, some whole scenes were made in one long take.

AS: One funny aspect about the production is that the dialogue is in Finnish and Bengt and I don’t speak or understand a word of Finnish.

BS: It was a an interesting experience to direct a film in a language that we didn’t speak but we got it right nevertheless, thanks to the Finnish actors and crew.

WT: Tell us about your next project.

BS: Well, at the moment we really don’t have a “next project.”

AS: But we’ll come up with something soon, for certain.

Anders Silling <godzilling@spray.se> is a former baker and is presently a student of Cultural Studies at the University of Karlstad, Sweden.

Bengt Svahn <bengtsvahn@hotmail.com>is a former archaeologist and is presently a student of Visual Culture at the University of Karlstad, Sweden.

Warren Tessler <w@cinemahead.com> is a filmmaker and is not running for Governor of California.

As Rintama enters the festival circuit, check out the trailer in the consulting section.

© 2003 Cinemahead