Film Heroes

I noticed a poster for a photo exhibit in a camera shop window and decided to go have a look since the theme was interesting. Valkokankaan Sankarit, Heroes of the Screen, is a provocative collection of photographs by Malla Hukkanen taken around Finland of tiny movie theatres that are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Hukkanen tells the story of these indie theatres in vivid colour on 35mm and panoramic film. I took my time looking at the faces of the people he captured so poignantly in and around their theatres and wondered if they were still in business. I'd love to see more of his work.

I have never really liked the giant 20 screen megaplex theatres that are so common in the US nowadays as they often show the same movies for weeks on end, have stale popcorn and they're as large and impersonal as a shopping mall. The small independent theatres have fresh popcorn, interesting films and often a small staff who remember your name if you're a movie junkie. It's ironic how the people who evangelise how the internet and social software are "revolutionising" our social lives when, at every turn, nearly every part of our daily lives away from the computer are becoming more and more impersonal and isolated. Hukkanen's photos will likely be a testament to the future of a time when people went to see movies and each other without the aid of a computer.

The Living Picture Museum [Elävän Kuvan Museo] is hidden away in a small warehouse in an out of the way neighbourhood, but it has an impressive collection of projection cameras and movie theatre ephemera, including an ushers costume from Kinopalatsi last worn in the 1960s. It's a short walk from the Sörnäinen metro station and it's worth the trip if you wax nostalgic over old movie theatres or enjoy photography that tells a story.

Living Picture Museum: Heroes of the Screen
Vanha Talvitie 9, Verkkosaari, Sörnäinen

Open: 29 Jan through 28 Feb 2004, Tues - Sun 12-6pm
Free admission!