The start of the Finnish film project: students share their impressions

In February last year, a creative film project, organized by our University and the University of Applied Sciences of Karelia,was launched.  The film crew visited Joensuu, where met with a team of Finnish students and discussed the scenario of the future joint film. In April 2018 in St. Petersburg, the final stage of the project - shooting and montage - will took place. Students of the University of Film and Television told about the first meeting with the Finns, about working in an international team, about finding compromise solutions and about preparing for a shooting period

This year our University is represented by the students of the Faculty of Screen Arts Maxim Akhmetov (directing of non-feature film, 551b), Anastasia Safronova (camera art, 455), Andrei Kharitonov (sound engineering, 453a), students of the Faculty of Management and Media Communications Alena Udovenko (TV, 520), Anastasia Khmelnitskaya (TV, 520) and Tatyana Kostina, an employee of University (decorator). The project managers from the side of our University are senior lecturers of the department of directing D. Egorov and A. Markov.

Maxim Akhmetov:
For the joint discussion of the idea of ​​the film, we were gathered into groups of three. Then they mixed us again, so that from both Finnish and Russian sides there were approximately the same number of guys in the team, and they gave time to search for topics and theses. After a long discussion, came the idea of a documentary film with game inserts. This compromise solution is due to the fact that Finnish students wanted to shoot a game story, and our group was more inclined to shoot documentary films.

Anastasia Safronova:
At first it seemed funny to me. However, soon we got involved in this game, the language barrier was lifted, and we already drew ideas on a three-meter paper.

As it turned out, the guys from the University of Applied Sciences of Karelia are very interested in urban movements in Russia, so they decided to dedicate the film to the underground trends of St. Petersburg. The director of the project from the Russian side - the student of the FSA Maxim Akhmetov - notes that in this story he is most attracted by the opportunity to tell how a trip to St. Petersburg leads a simple Finnish guy to understand the mysterious Russian soul.

After discussing the scenario for the guests from Russia the Finnish group organized a small excursion around the native university of applied sciences of Karelia. The students appreciated the panoramic windows and the spaciousness of the educational buildings, and also learned a lot about the learning process on the creative specialty in the Finnish universities.

Maxim Akhmetov:
The teaching system there is very different from ours: the free choice of attending classes, the personal approach to learning. I think that's why our Finnish colleagues are very interesting interlocutors who share many of our common views on creativity.

Tatyana Kostina:
I really liked the university, it is modern. The architecture of the building and the interior are in the best traditions of Scandinavian design.

Of course, participation in this creative project is also an opportunity to visit another country, get acquainted with European culture, travel and practice professional English.

Anastasia Khmelnitskaya:
This was my first visit to Finland, so the first thing that impressed me was the huge forests and the cleanest air. The second is the silence and serenity that reign in the city. It's so contrasted with life in Petersburg that it seems as if you are in another world, without worries and problems. And, of course, the city of Joensuu itself - it seems to be small, but very beautiful, clean and well maintained.

In April 2018, the final stage of the project - the shooting and montage of joint cinema work - will take place in St. Petersburg. The team of students, in anticipation of their colleagues from Finland, shared their expectations.

Maxim Akhmetov:
The value of this international project is that during work comes the realization that there is something other than one's own. Alien in a good, cultural sense. Our whole team thinks that the final stage will be difficult, but, fortunately, we have a common goal - to shoot a good movie, so we'll manage!

Anastasia Khmelnitskaya:
I look forward to a productive, well-coordinated work of our international team, as well as a successful working process at the postproduction stage.

Alena Udovenko:
I hope that we will film and assemble a worthy film without any disagreement within our group.

Anastasia Safronova:
This project has become for us a good opportunity to work in an international team, to get new experience and make a good movie.

Text: Daria Mikhailova