Art FIFA 2013: Grand Prix

Helsinki Music Centre – Prelude

Finland | 2012 | colour | 93 min. | Finnish with English subtitles

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director(s): Matti Reinikka, Miisa Latikka 
Screenplay: Matti Reinikka, Miisa Latikka 
Cinematography: Matti Reinikka, Pentti Pällijeff 
Sound: Juha Hakanen, Lauri Vänskä, Ville Jankeri, Tero Suvilammi, Kimmo Vänttinen 
Editing: Matti Reinikka 
Music: Jussi Latikka 
Participation: Helena Hiilivirta, Marko Kivistö, Dalia Stasevska, Santtu-Matias Rouvali 
Producer(s): Matti Reinikka 
Production: Elokuvaosuuskunta Siperia 
Distribution: Elokuvaosuuskunta Siperia

Official description of the film:

August 2011 saw the opening of the Helsinki Music Centre in Finland. In addition to a 1,700-seat concert hall that can accommodate Helsinki’s two excellent classical music orchestras, the Finnish Radio Symphony and the Helsinki Philharmonic, it also has five smaller concert halls, the Sibelius Academy, which trains promising Finnish musicians for the future, a media library and a café-restaurant. The architects had two main objectives: to create, in the heart of the Finnish capital, a building in harmony with its urban surroundings, and a concert hall with outstanding acoustics. This documentary provides an overview of the history of the creation of the Helsinki Music Centre, a project that sparked a vast debate over its high cost, and features comments by its four main players: its director, Helena Hiilivirta, chief architect Marko Kivistö, and two young conductors, Dalia Stasevska and Santtu-Matias Rouvali.

This film received the prestigious Grand Prix at the Montreal's annual International Festival of Films on Art 2013. I have to commend the jury for their choice of awarding this prize. The film epitomizes the struggle that the world of art has to endure in our present commercialized world to be able to get a funding for a cultural project, even for such a prestigious institution as a country's principal music centre. The film documents the veritable battle required so that Helsinki and the entire Finland could have a national monument - the Helsinki Music Centre - of which the whole country could be proud.

The problem was not only the lack of funding and of finding the money needed for such a grand undertaking, but also a public scrutiny and questioning whether Helsinki needs a music centre at all, especially in view of the sharp falling interest in classical arts like music and opera, and whether an old warehouse that occupied the terrain should be demolished for this project. It was only because of the steel-like dedication of a small group of people, with Helena Hiilivirta as a driving force and the project's spokesman (or rather a spokeswoman), that the project not only got off the ground but came to a successful fruition, to the obvious delight of the Finish people.

Ms. Hiilivirta, now the Helsinki Music Centre's director, is the main character of this film, if one could refer to a real person in a documentary film as a character. She is the principal person who helps the film crew to unfold the story line of this film. And it is through her efforts, thoughts, and emotions that one gets to appreciate the tremendous energy required from her and several other people to accomplish and bring to life the great vision for their country.

The film makes a a strong statement that to create something of value one should not rash. Most importantly, only that which is true counts and will survive, it will endure into the future and for the future generations, regardless of present momentary fads. And additionally: if you build a national cultural centre, a music centre, the people will come, even youth and small children will come, regardless of the fad of the day. 

Photo above courtesy of FIFA.