Kuoleman puutarha (Garden of Death) combines documentary footage of everyday cemetery work with a dreamlike or ghostly depiction of an 8-year-old girl who has appeared as part of the work community. The cinematography of the film, utilizing a tilt&shift lens, portrays one day from dawn to dusk contrasting the daytime duties of people with the presence of animals, insects, flowers and trees of the graveyard. The film borrows its name and pays hommage to the painting Kuoleman Puutarha by Humo Simberg, also buried in the same cemetary.
Credit list
Directing & script: Marja Viitahuhta
Cast: Dunja Saiyar and the employees of the Hietaniemi Cemetery in Helsinki
Cinematography: Marko Luukkonen
Editing: Azar Saiyar and Marja Viitahuhta
Sound Design: Tuukka Haapakorpi
Production: Marja Viitahuhta
Production supported by: AVEK (Elena Näsänen), TAIKE Arts Promotion Centre Finland and Kone Foundation
Watch a preview clip via >> Av-Arkki
Kuoleman puutarha has been exhibited and screened as part of
– solo exhibition Kuoleman puutarha at Kluuvin galleria (Helsinki Art Museum), 25.10.2013-10.11.2013
– 2015 Yebisu Art Festival and 2014 Cairo Video Festival
Press
Saara Hacklin’s review (in Finnish) at Mustekala: Hiljaisesti ja rauhallisesti ei mistään
