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Lynx Man film image

Lynx Man

Ilveskuiskaaja

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Upon discovering that Eurasian lynxes– hunted to near-extinction a century ago in Finland– have begun to prowl anew across his land, reclusive farmer Hannu sets up trail cameras to track the elusive wild cats he calls his friends: Joseph, Velvet Eyes, Grumpy Girl, and Spot. Hannu’s footage soon sees the night open up to all manner of delightful wildlife encounters: a fox frightened by geese; a moose’s stand-off with a mirror; lynx cubs trailing after their mother in single file. Inspired by this indirect contact with the animals he has sworn to protect, Hannu dons a whittled lynx mask and enacts a few playful, primal rituals of his own in the moonlight, where the distinctions between man and beast begin to blur.

Director Juha Suonpää’s projections of trail footage over sauna smoke imbue this quirky documentary with a uniquely mesmerizing quality.

 

Grand Prix, Cinemambiente 2023

 

Series Media Partner

Director
Credits
Country of Origin

Finland/Estonia

Year

2023

Series

Insights

Language

In Finnish with English subtitles

Film Contact
18+
82 min
Documentary

Book Tickets

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Credits

Producer

Pasi Hakkio, Niina Virtanen

Screenwriter

Juha Suonpää, Hanna Kaihlanen

Cinematography

Alexander Markus Lembke, Juha Suonpää

Editor

Tuuli Kuittinen, Hanna Kaihlanen

Original Music

Puuluup, Kimmo Helén, Tanel Kadalipp

Director

Juha Suonpää headshot

Photo by Juha Suonpää

Juha Suonpää

Juha Suonpää is an academic, photographer and filmmaker. Suonpää’s film Wolfman premiered in Visions Du Réel 2013. He continues to research and publish in the field of photography, visualizing science and the construction of the identity of a place.

Filmography: Vuores (2000); Wolfman (2013)

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