Espoo Ciné interviews a new generation of Finnish filmmakers. Next up is Josefina Rautiainen, who talks about her new film and the future of Finnish cinema.
Your debut feature How to Shout (2025) deals with mental health themes, especially trauma and intrusive thoughts. What draws you to these themes?
I've always been fascinated by the human mind and mental health issues, because they are, in a way, still taboo topics in our society. There's a lot of shame surrounding them, and I think cinema is a powerful and interesting tool to bring them into the open. The human mind is incredibly beautiful and complex, but at the same time very delicate and fragile. I'm drawn to the idea of the mind breaking down or being shaken. I believe that film can express things that are hard to put into words—things that are communicated through looks, silences, and other non-verbal moments.
In the film, Heloisa studies folkloristics and is interested in stories and human interaction. What kind of story did you want to tell, and what kind of interaction did you want to portray?
In this story, I was particularly interested in the power dynamics between a psychotherapist and a patient—and in disrupting and flipping that dynamic. I was also curious about aggression and violence. Even though the film has a suspenseful, thriller-like setup, I hope that each character is seen with love and understanding, and that no one is purely good or bad. These are just people trying to cope and survive in the best way they can. The idea that someone is simply “evil” is, to me, an untrue and uninteresting claim about life. I want to avoid that good guy vs. bad guy thinking, and I hope that comes through in the film.
Heloisa is also interested in lies. What do you think is the relationship between lies, truth, and narrative film?
I think narrative film—and even documentary film, although it’s rooted in truth—is about creating illusions and, in a sense, lying. At the same time, I believe cinema is an art form of truth, and that has to do with the camera and its gaze. I love films and I hate being in front of the camera myself because the camera lens has this strange power. No matter how much makeup you wear or how hidden you are in front of the camera, the camera always sees the truth, and that fascinates me. That’s why people feel so exposed in front of it. The camera sees and records every lie.
Why should people come see How to Shout at Espoo Ciné? What might interest audiences?
I think at the heart of the film is a very interesting and complex human relationship. It's not black and white—there are many layers to it, and I hope that comes across. Another thing: this film was made purely out of love. No one involved did it for the money—we had a tiny budget. This is a film born from love, and I think that also makes it worth seeing.
What does the future of Finnish cinema look like from your perspective?
From my point of view, it looks contradictory. The current political climate, with cuts to cultural funding, is heartbreaking and worrying. At the same time, I feel Finnish cinema is going through a new renaissance. We have so many talented filmmakers and compelling storytellers. Despite all the fear and hopelessness, I want to believe that the future of Finnish film is magical and full of wonder. I try to avoid bitterness, because making films is such a deep passion for me. As long as it brings me joy, I will keep making films—regardless of the resources. I’ll just make them smaller, because even with very little, it’s still possible to make movies.
What kinds of films would you like to see made in Finland?
I would love to see more original stories being made in Finland. I don’t have statistics, but my understanding is that the average first-time Finnish director is over 40 years old before making their debut. So my special wish, shouted out into the universe, is that we could have films by younger first-time directors as well. I can write about youth, but since I’m no longer in my twenties, my perspective is more distant—and that distance inevitably shows in the film. I think we also need films made with a young person’s gaze.
What would you personally like to make films about in the future?
So many things! I keep returning to certain core themes. I’m deeply interested in family relationships—especially twisted ones—and psychological tension between people. For me, the most important thing is to be able to make films with an honest gaze toward humanity. And if I’m allowed to dream out loud: I would absolutely love to make an original children’s film one day. I'm drawn to themes of mental health and the human psyche, and the core emotions of shame and fear. I’m not tied to any one genre—I hope to work as broadly as possible.
Do you have any memories of Espoo Ciné you would like to share?
In 2023, my former roommate and dear friend and colleague Reeta Annala created a hotel-themed short film anthology—each short took place in the same hotel room but on a different night, seen through different characters. I was involved in that, and it was screened at Kino Tapiola. The warmth and passion for film that I felt from the Espoo Ciné organisers and the audience made it a truly special experience.
What does European cinema mean to you?
I love European cinema. I greatly admire Nordic filmmakers. I also love French films deeply, and for me, European cinema is more important than, say, American cinema and its history. Right now, for example, there are amazing films, creators, and series coming out of Iceland. One of my all-time favorite directors is Ingmar Bergman, and among the more recent ones, I love Thomas Vinterberg. European and Nordic cinema just gets closer to the soul than American films do. You also have some great Norwegian films this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing them.
Where do your films fit in the landscape of European cinema? Or are they distinctly Finnish?
It’s hard to describe your own film’s national identity from the inside. I think someone with more distance to the film could sense that better. For example, I feel that How to Shout is not strictly a traditional European film—it could even be described as genre cinema. My hope is to combine the American tradition of genre storytelling with a more soulful, European sensibility. That combination draws me in, and I hope that’s what our film represents.
How to Shout will be screened at Espoo Ciné on Friday, August 29. In the film, a therapist is shocked to discover that her son’s new girlfriend is also her patient — plagued by violent intrusive fantasies. Starring: Jonna Järnefelt, Alina Tomnikov, Samuel Kujala, Elina Knihtilä, and Tobias Zilliacus.
Text and photo: Emma Petäjäaho