When in Finland, do as Finns do !?
DV, 11’31
Helsinki, 2007
In Helsinki I photographed and filmed activities and habits of people in the city. Then I did the same thing as they were doing. The things that draw my attention were small actions like sitting down on a bench with a book or a mobile telephone and taking sun. Often I saw two strangers sitting down with a certain distance at the each end of the bench. Everyone having ice cream everywhere and enjoying Nordic Walking in the park. Drinking beer in the park and getting drunk. Enjoying the short summer to the maximum. I also encountered traditional activities such as washing carpets on the seashore, and people having sauna.
Some habits and customs could have been seen in other cities as well, but why did they draw my attention? Because I see them from a different point of view as I am used to different customs and surroundings. What can be called “common” is relative.
I imitated what people in Helsinki were doing and then photographed and filmed myself.
The process of photographing and video filming helped to communicate with people. I also enjoyed focusing on and watching again the actions around our life.
youtuve
