Other People
Anni Sairio, Joonatan Turkki, Finland 2023
Language: Finnish
Subtitles: English

Six main characters are roaming towards their own destinations in the woods avoiding other people. When a kingfisher is spotted by the river, the main characters find themselves sharing a moment together during bird watching. The eyes of the strangers meet and there is a tiny little fraction of a nod in the air. So tiny that no-one can prove that anyone said hello.

Production notes

The Kind Stranger
The Kind Stranger is a moving, at times comical film about the ASMR community, whose members try to ease each other’s pain by making youtube videos of tender care, quiet whispers and close up attention. We see the many hours of work that “ASMR artists” put into making their videos – and their presence and sincerity. In the age of anxiety, ASMR aspires to fulfill our ancient, primal needs. We are all a bit broken, but human beings are incredibly inventive when it comes to finding ways to reach out to our kind.

Production notes

The most popular ASMR artists and their audiences have a fascinating relationship, where the kind voice on a video is at once so close and so distant; an intimate friend and yet a complete stranger. Sini Hormio and Anu Silfverberg’s movie directs our attention to the creators of ASMR videos. How did they become content creators, and what drives them to continue? What do they think of their viewers who night after night seek virtual comfort from them in order to relax, fall asleep, and perhaps to feel a little less lonely? The documentary offers a unique audio experience. It also features researchers studying the phenomenon of ASMR.

Annu Suvanto (translated by Mira Sairanen)

The Kind Stranger directors Anu Silfverberg and Sini Hormio and screenwriter Ari Matikainen are present in the screening on Fri, Feb 3.