‘Finnish Streets Show More Diversity Compared to Screens’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Erol Mintaş has revealed the cast for his upcoming feature “Earth Song.”

Dilan Gwyn (“Da Vinci’s Demons,” “Dracula Untold”), Ali Seçkiner Alıcı (“Burning Days”), Feyyaz Duman (“Yalan”) and Zenan Tünc will star in the film written by Mintaş and Mikko Viljanen, which also debuts first-look photos.

Previously, Mintaş directed Duman in his debut “Song of My Mother,” awarded at Sarajevo.

Produced by Mete Sasioglu and Mintaş for Sons of Lumière, “Earth Song” is co-produced by Anna Blom for Jamedia Production (Finland) and Tanja Georgieva-Waldhauer for Elemag Pictures (Germany). With Finnish broadcaster YLE on board, Cinemanse will distribute the film in Finland, while Folkets Bio will handle Sweden.

In the drama – now in post-production and presented at Haugesund’s New Nordic Films Works in Progress session – Rojin, a Kurdish-Finnish woman (Dilan Gwyn), lives in Helsinki with her husband Ferhat (Feyyaz Duman) and their 12-year-old adopted daughter Azad. She finds her life and family crumbling apart as her father (Ali Seçkiner Alıcı) makes an unexpected, devastating visit. It forces her to confront a complicated past.

“The film is told from the point of view of the main character, but the supporting characters are also very important. Without them, we wouldn’t understand her so well,” Mintaş told Variety.

“It’s about a family, but it’s also about Rojin, who’s in the midst of many challenges because of her family ties, but she doesn’t give up on dedicating herself to what she finds meaningful. The film also talks about how our family relationships are affected when we dedicate ourselves to the good of others.”

“Earth Song” will be shot in Kurdish, Turkish, Swedish and Finnish.

“There are huge injustices that exist because of one’s identity. Identity can be anything; it can be the way you wear your hat, and that can get you into trouble – just because you don’t fit into the box. When they come to oppress you for it, of course, you fight back. It’s an interesting phenomenon that makes the dynamic between people fascinating but also tragic,” he said.

“Family has been divinized in almost all societies. It’s sacred. I wanted to show a family that would make us rethink what the whole concept of a ‘family’ even means. For them and for us. I really hope the film will make people think about that.”

Or about climate change – because of that, there’s a constant wind in Helsinki.

“There are windy, poetic outdoor scenes and scenes in intimate indoor spaces. The wind separates those two worlds from each other,” he explained.

Mintaş, who’s also a doctoral researcher at Helsinki’s Aalto University, founded the Academy of Moving People and Images for “those who have arrived in Finland for different reasons.” Displaced people, forced immigrants, students or asylum seekers.

“I met Erol through the Academy. He asked me to teach production. My father is from Turkey, not that far away from where Erol is from, so there was a connection there,” noted Sasioglu.

Helsinki-based Sons of Lumière focuses “on telling stories of the underrepresented.” Latest productions include “Áfruvvá” by Sámi filmmaker Marja Helander, an immersive film that premiered in Venice.

“I am very happy the film got funded, but there are still challenges regarding telling these kinds of stories. At some point, there were voices raising a question if this film is ‘Finnish’ enough. What’s Finnish?! Yes, the characters speak other languages, and they look different, but they live in Helsinki, and the film is mostly happening there.”

Mintaş added: “I totally agree with [‘The Gravedigger’s Wife’ director] Khadar Ayderus Ahmed; the film industry in Finland is still quite ‘white.’ The streets in Finland are more diverse than the screens in Finland.”

“It’s still not easy to tell stories that aren’t part of the norms of the white society, but we were lucky: there are great decision-makers, and we got the film financed because of them. Like us, they believed these characters should be seen on screen. I hope there will be the right people in the decision-making positions in the future as well so that the change that has begun can continue.”