Series of 30 films

we runed is a film series spanning 30 films made during 2021–2026. The lead artists for the film productions are composer Anne-Mari Kivimäki and director and screenwriter Tommi Kainulainen. Kivimäki is one of the most interesting artists in current folk music and the developer of accordion trance. Kainulainen is a popular theatre director who currently works at the Lahti City Theatre. He has received international awards for his indie films and music videos. The main cinematographer is Kim Saarinen, who has been awarded for his short films. The sound design is done by Antti Puumalainen, renowned for his work in theatre. The films are produced by Folk Extreme Oy. The whole series will be completed in 2026. There will be posts about the film production process on the social media channels of Folk Extreme and Anne-Mari Kivimäki.

we runed is a cinematographic series, a modern multi-arts project that is inspired by Kalevala, which discusses current topics through free association. Ancient birch bark shoes meet modern Finland ridden with anxiety about covid and climate change. we runed provides an outlet for expressing the subconscious and interpreting modern times symbolically in the spirit of carnivalism. The keywords for the films are ‘subconscious’, ‘symbolism’, ‘modern times’, ‘technology vs. folk culture’ and ‘greed vs. empathy’. The elements of water and the forest from the imagery of Kalevala will be central in the film series.

Special screenings and international collaboration

The film series and its separate films will be shown not only in traditional cinema screenings, but also in special screenings with live music. We will find different distribution opportunities in Finland and submit the series to international film and music festivals. The performer casting takes into account the whole spectrum of diversity. We aim to distance the series from the stereotypical characters provided by Kalevala by casting individual roles to several people along the way. Our goal is not a work of art that is faithful to the original or presents classic narratives, but instead a new epic that is inspired by the source material and reflects the modern world. The script will evolve as the process continues, changing according to what the artists are inspired by, which is at the core of living contemporary art.

The soundtrack includes featured artists from Finland and abroad alike. The music is inspired by the artistic encounters, the unique sounds of the featured artists, old folk poems, and the magic of motion pictures.

The we runed music will be published as separate tracks on different streaming platforms. The tracks will also be collected in an album that accompanies the film series.

Partners and sponsors

Operation Pirkanmaa, Arts Promotion Centre Finland

You can book traditional screenings and screenings with live music at:

ProductionFolk Extreme Oy