Days of Wonder
Showtimes
Filmmaker Karin Pennanen has said that this film chose her; it was a calling, and everything else had to be set aside. Days of Wonder tells the story of Pennanen’s Uncle Markku, a beloved and important figure who spent the last years of his life isolated from the rest of the world and people. After Markku’s death, the family discovered a vast collection of his diverse artwork: paintings, photographs, collages, music, and videos. They also found towering stacks of cassettes containing recorded phone calls, revealing a poignant, crucial point in Markku’s life.
The film’s material is richly varied and fast-paced, ranging from wildly eccentric self-portraits and videos to animations and deep reflections on being human and on worlds beyond our own. All the music heard in the film is also Markku’s creation. Visually stunning and layered, the film paints a portrait of a gifted, original man largely forgotten by the world, and the mysterious world he inhabited.
As Pennanen unravels her uncle’s life, she raises many questions, for her parents, for herself, and for Markku, creating a beautiful dialogue between filmmaker and subject. Some mysteries remain, however. The portrait built from the remnants of his estate hints at an inexplicable longing for some “true home,” enveloping him in a mysterious aura. As Pennanen asks in the film: “Where did you go, Markku?”
Mervi Herranen (translated by Anni Rossi)
Karin Pennanen will attend the film screening on 3 Feb.
