FILMMAKER Interview on Girl Picture / Sundance
“In many ways this movie was stylistically an organic continuation of my previous features. We wanted to avoid the cold and automated artifice of fiction filmmaking and feel the presence of the characters, to be close to and respectful of them. For us, the camera was like a friendly listener, someone who is reacting to the action. The characters should move the camera, not vice versa.”
Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job?
Kiuru: I had previously worked with director Alli Haapasalo on a short film (No Big Deal) and TV series (Shadow Lines). After sharing those adventures with her I was pleased when she asked if I was interested in shooting her next feature. Girl Picture seemed like an inspirational next step in the evolution of our collaboration.
Filmmaker: What were your artistic goals on this film, and how did you realize them? How did you want your cinematography to enhance the film’s storytelling and treatment of its characters?
Kiuru: In many ways this movie was stylistically an organic continuation of my previous features. We wanted to avoid the cold and automated artifice of fiction filmmaking and feel the presence of the characters, to be close to and respectful of them. For us, the camera was like a friendly listener, someone who is reacting to the action. The characters should move the camera, not vice versa.
Because of the structure of the script (three Fridays and a Saturday) there’s an exciting pattern for light and color: each day starts with the weak, nordic winter light, and as the sun sets we end up always somewhere new and exciting. This dynamic allowed us to bounce between naturalistic and more stylized moods.
The idea to use the academy ratio came to me very early on as an impulse, but I didn’t dare to say it out loud immediately. It seemed right for me to frame single shots that way and even more dramatic when someone else enters that space and makes it a two shot. A bit later we had a meeting with the screenwriters and they described how the main characters face confinements within their world. That gave me the confidence to prepare a nine page document (in addition to the actual lookbook!) to defend my vision, as I was ready to fight for the aspect ratio, but everybody was very supportive of the idea!
