Screening of the contemporary silent film “Silent Trilogy” with live music and foley effects

The film’s director, Juho Kuosmanen – one of the most important figures in contemporary Finnish cinema (whose films The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki, 2016, and Compartment No. 6, 2021 were screened and awarded at the Cannes Film Festival) – draws on the tradition of silent cinema while giving it a modern, distinctly personal character. The three independent short films – though different in form and theme – create a coherent trilogy in which melancholy, absurdity, tenderness, and dark humor intertwine into a unified whole.

The music will be performed live by Ykspihlajan Kino orkesteri, a Finnish ensemble originating from the Ykspihlaja district of the city of Kokkola. The group was originally founded to compose and perform music for silent films. Their style is a nostalgic blend of film music, Finnish iskelmä (popular schlager) from the 1950s and 1960s, and Italian pop of the 1960s. The ensemble gained international recognition through performances at festivals in Cannes, Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna, and the Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä.

Orchestra lineup:

• Tuomas Asanti – electric guitar, harmonica,
• Miika Snåre – classical guitar, electric guitar, banjo, piano,
• Reetta Kuisma – double bass, vocals,
• Ilkka Tolonen – drums, percussion,
• Oona Airola – vocals, vibraphone,
• Miia Reko – trumpet, vocals,
• Laura Airola – accordion, piano, vocals,
• Pietu Korhonen – foley (sound effects), ambient,
• Heikki Kossi – foley (sound effects),
• Ville Liukkonen – sound engineer.

The event introduces audiences to the rarely seen art of foley – the creation of sound effects that are usually produced in post-production studios. Here, however, they are created live on stage, requiring the artists to synchronize perfectly with the image while maintaining full control and concentration. This allows the audience to observe a creative process that normally remains invisible.

Parts of the trilogy:

Romu-Mattila and the Beautiful Woman / Romu-Mattila ja kaunis nainen, 2012

A film about a man trying to sell his belongings while also seeking acceptance for his own existence. A tender, minimalist story about loneliness and the need to be noticed.

The Moonshiners / Salaviinanpolttajat, 2017

A contemporary reinterpretation of the first Finnish feature film of the same title. Two moonshiners inherit what is essential for a good life: a cart for distilling homemade alcohol and… a pig. An absurd, rhythmic, visually humorous story rooted in film history.

A Planet Far Away / Kaukainen planeetta, 2023

A film about Marlanda and her younger brother Maksymilian. A story about the end of the world and the peculiar, intimate ways people cope with an approaching catastrophe. The most poetic and reflective part of the trilogy.

Other music-film events at the Timeless Film Festival Warsaw 2026:

24 April 2026 (Friday), 8:30 PM, Mazovian Institute of Culture, 12 Elektoralna Street. Concert by musicians from the Berlin electronic and experimental scene – Gruppo di Improvvisazione Giallo project.

27 April 2026 (Monday), 7:00 PM, The Polish National Opera, 1 Theatre Square. Screening of The Saragossa Manuscript with live music.

Co-Organizer