A close friend of Jussi: Kaurismäki scores nine nominations for Le Havre

by Jorn Rossing Jensen

12/01/2012 - Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki’s Le Havre [trailer, film focus] – Finland’s submission for the Oscars, which won the international critics’ FIPRESCI Award at Cannes – will be considered in nine categories, when Filmiaura honours last year’s achievements in Finnish cinema at a January 29 gala in Helsinki.

The association of Finnish film professionals instigated the Jussi – Finland’s national film prize – in 1944, and the 2010 nominations which were announced yesterday (January 11) give Le Havre the lead in front of Sakari Kirjavainen’s Silence [trailer] and Zaida Bergroth’s The Good Son [trailer], both competing for seven trophies.

Starring André Wilms, Kati Outinen, Jean-Pierre Darroussin and Blondin Miguel, the French-language film about a former author and bohemian, now showshiner, and his efforts to help an illegal immigrant boy took 116,727 admissions domestically, to place second among local releases.

After its world premiere in Cannes, Le Havre unspooled to an 8,000 audience on Locarno’s Piazza Grande. It went on to win the award for Best International Feature at Germany’s FilmFest München, as well as the Audience Award at St Petersburg’s Kinoforum in Russia, and a Gold Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival.

Full list of nominations

Best Film
Silence [trailer] - Sakari Kirjavainen
Producers: Joonas Berghäll, Alf Hemming, Petri Rossi
The Good Son [trailer] - Zaida Bergroth
Producers: Misha Jaari, Mark Lwoff, Elli Toivoniemi
Le Havre [trailer, film focus] - Aki Kaurismäki
Producer: Aki Kaurismäki

Best Director
Zaida Bergroth - The Good Son
Aki Kaurismäki - Le Havre [trailer, film focus]
Taru Mäkelä - Varasto

Best Actor
Joonas Saartamo - Silence
Samuli Niittymäki - The Good Son
Samuli Edelmann - Home Sweet Home [trailer]
Best Actress
Elina Knihtilä - The Good Son
Jessica Grabowsky - Where Once We Walked
Krista Kosonen - Body of Water [trailer]

Best Supporting Actor
Ilkka Heiskanen - Silence
Jean-Pierre Darroussin - Le Havre
Ylermi Rajamaa - Six-Pack [trailer]

Best Supporting Actress
Anna Paavilainen - The Good Son
Elina Salo - Le Havre
Hannele Lauri - The Storage

Best Script
Esko Salervo - Silence
Zaida Bergroth, Jan Forsström - The Good Son
Aki Kaurismäki - Le Havre

Best Cinematography
Peter Flinckenberg - Hella [trailer]
Timo Salminen - Le Havre
Hena Blomberg - Dirty Bomb [trailer]

Best Musical Score
Timo Hietala - Silence
Timo Kahilainen, Janne Louhivuori - Mr Hayhill [trailer]
Pascal Gaigne - A Journey to Eden [trailer]

Best Sound Design
Olli Huhtanen, Pietari Koskinen - Silence
Micke Nyström - The Good Son
Pasi Peni - Dirty Bomb

Best Editing
Timo Linnasalo - Le Havre
Iikka Hesse - Dirty Bomb
Harri Ylönen - Six-Pack

Best Set Design
Kari Kankaanpää - Hella W
Tiina Tuovinen, Jukka Uusitalo - Silence
Wouter Zoon - Le Havre

Best Costume Design
Anu Pirilä - Hella W
Riitta Peteri - Iris [trailer]
Fred Cambier - Le Havre

Best Documentary
Forever Yours - Mia Halme Salla
Salla - Selling the Silence - Markku Tuurna
The Unknown Woman - Elina Kivihalme