Goodbye Words
Laura Rantanen, Finland 2023
Language: Finnish
Subtitles: English

Where do abandoned books go? Goodbye Words is a documentary short film about books, cyclicality, and the acceptance of death. The film ponders what kind of trace we leave behind and offers consolation for the fear of insignificance.

Production notes

Under Construction
Markku built a house for his family with his own bare hands like a strong man is supposed to do. He worked hard from dawn to dusk, so that his seven children would have a roof above their heads. Unfortunately, the task ended up being too hard and Markku burnt out. One day, he left his family and disappeared abroad. 

The filmmaker travels to his childhood home to face his father, who he never got to know properly. Together they build a steel gate in front of the unfinished house, and try to create a relationship between each other.

Production notes

For the father, the church boat and the fixing of an old gate seem more crucial than his own children, but is it just easier to compartmentalise your feelings? At least in theory, the projects are more straightforward than digging up old memories. Under Construction tells the story of a single family, but the culture of silence is a familiar phenomenon to many. Markus Toivo shows that as long as we are willing to discuss even those hard things, there is still hope.

Sanna-Maria Nikula (translated by Inari Ylinen)

The director Markus Toivo is present in the screening on Wed, Feb 1.