Pandering or just Pondering

Ok so here is the good news! I have managed to get the brilliant Paula Havaste to agree to be interviewed for my project:) Yay! She is an author who writes books about Finnish peoples around the time the church was making its way in to Finland. They are full of incantations, magic and folklore. I am so excited to have her on board and her expertise will lend the documentary some fantastic material and insight. The interview will not take place till early next year and I am glad to have some time to properly form my questions and perhaps get a better idea of who the documentary part of this project will pan out.

Also had a meeting with Eva-Liisa Orupold with whom I’m doing a project next June in Northern karelia with locals. We discussed strategy and possible outcomes and what we truly want to achieve through the project and how much time it will take to complete. Ideas were tossed about and if nought else we have a good groundwork set up for how to continue from here. We have given ourselves till the end of the year to sort out the project.

Next week I will be attending a seminar on Crying hymns and their healing power. I have managed to get a friend of mine to lend me his brilliant camera for the night in order to shoot some preliminary footage. I do however still need to locate a mic and good recording device before then. This will not be an actual interview or sound recording session but more research. Still I feel its important to get things with as good quality as possible. I also approached MUU ry about their equipment hire and as they are going through some changes at the moment and waiting back on funding applications their equipment store is limited. In other words I may have to find another way to get my recording done.

As for funding I will be sending off another four in the following month two of which must be handed in by by Monday. Hectic days, hectic times. Thank godness for lists.

It's all starting to make sense

The trip to Northern Karelia was amazing; beautiful landscapes, naked trees that glow with early autumn light, storms that turn all the electricity off and leave only the bumming of the wind and flicker of candle light as company. I had time to continue my exploration of old traditions this time through a book about respecting the forest and how still people who come from the other side of the border give thanks through gifts and sacrifice. The knowledge of people who still cultivate their livelihood through natures gifts and see the abuse of lands for pure profit like the making of paper a crime against the old gods.

Music became a way to view the landscape and I began harnessing my own talents as a singer to interpret the autumn. Lyrics and sounds that tell of twirling leaves and of the forest leaning on mountains. The exciting thing is that today I got a call from Pirkko who runs Äänellä Itkijät ry. She invited me to her house next month to get acquainted with other singers of old Karelian crying songs and to one of her lecture on the healing aspects of crying songs. Its all very exciting and as they have given me the opportunity to film and record their work I must make the best of this opportunity. I have about a month to sort out the equipment. I will try to get some of it rented from MUU ry but if I cant I might be able to borrow one from a friend. It's all starting to come together.

This month is going fast, I can't believe how little time there is left. It is getting very busy and I am seriously pondering how I can handle it all. I might have to reconsider my commitment to the band and work on my own priorities for the next few weeks. After October things should settle down with most of the big applications done and sent off awaiting approval. Must believe I will get the grant. I must get the grant!

Bears on my mind

Bears view of me on the dock

Another day, another euro spent. the weather is turning in to a constant drizzle and i find it affects my work. Also the HESA inprint deadline is up and i am trying to curate the newest issue Creation Stories - Luomiskertomuksia. Not as easy as you would think, but i do try my hardest to make it as good as i can. To be honest i should not complain, i really do love doing it, though my procrastination and tumultuous twitter updating would make you think otherwise.

The BIG PROJECT - Kyllä Tunnen Syntymäsi is rolling along nicely with some definates for involvement rolling in. Tomorrow i'm off to Northern Karelia to see the change in seasons and do some preliminary shots of places and visual reaserch for the documentary. Money is tight, but it always is. Luckily, my brilliant boyfriend Thierry is very capable and can make brilliant food with very little money. Thank goodness for the French.

I am currently reading a book called Näkökulmia Karjalaiseen Perinteeseen (Views of Karelian culture) by Pekka Hakamies. Brilliant stuff and surprisingly exciting for a theory book. My plan is to visit a few of the places he mentions (small villages and towns) that have in the past had a large flow of "Russian" Karelians during the war. My mothers side of the family came from some of the islands on Laatokka so it will be intriguing to see how these place differ from the towns that my fathers side of the family came from, near Eno where i've spent more time.

I've started to make some small storyboards for the documentary about its contenuity. I feel reluctant to make it final until i have done more research and seen, interviewed, heard etc more. There has to be some room for pure inspiration in the moment, who knows what kind of wonderful things i can discover.

One thing i am keenly trying to find out is if there is a chance of filming a traditional karhun peijäiset - ritual burial of the bear. I have found some sies that refer to the practice still being done in some parts of the country during hunting season. Last year i actually saw a bear cub in the wild, a scar time but truly awe inspiring, i never actually saw the mama bear, but i heard her. I was so busy sitting still and pondering my best survival strategy that i only realised after how incredibly lucky i was to have seen one of these amazing creatures in the wild.

In other news i am anxiously awaiting news on if i am getting the funding i applied for from the arts council of Finland. Next week i will be sending out other applications to places like the karjalaisen kulttuurin edistämissäätiö - The organisation for Karelian Kulture.