Experiencing Interruptions?

BLUSH – An Extraordinary Voyage

For 18-year-old Finnish–Kosovan Fatu, a simple visit to the grocery store feels as nerve-racking as a lunar expedition: for the first time in his life, he’s wearing makeup in public. Luckily his best friend Rai, a young woman on the spectrum of autism, is there to ferociously support him through the voyage.

  • Iiti Yli-Harja
    Director
    All My Mom’s Phone Calls, Real Men, All My Aunt’s Pets
  • Iiti Yli-Harja
    Writer
    All My Mom’s Phone Calls, Real Men, All My Aunt’s Pets
  • Fatu
    Key Cast
  • Rai
    Key Cast
  • Leena Uotila
    Key Cast
    "Ana"
    Ladies of Steel, The Human Part, Off Key
  • Iiti Yli-Harja
    Cinematographer
    All My Mom’s Phone Calls, Real Men, All My Aunt’s Pets
  • Iiti Yli-Harja
    Production Designers
    All My Mom’s Phone Calls, Real Men, All My Aunt’s Pets
  • Alli Sillanpää
    Production Designers
  • Pekka Härkönen
    Production Designers
    Real Men
  • Iiti Yli-Harja
    Puppets by
    All My Mom’s Phone Calls, Real Men, All My Aunt’s Pets
  • Otto Heikola
    Editor
    The Punk Voyage, Force of Habit
  • Ville-Matti Koskiniemi
    Sound Recordists
    All My Mom’s Phone Calls, Real Men
  • Iiti Yli-Harja
    Sound Recordists
    All My Mom’s Phone Calls, Real Men, All My Aunt’s Pets
  • Ville-Matti Koskiniemi
    Sound Designer
    All My Mom’s Phone Calls, Real Men
  • Ville-Matti Koskiniemi
    Sound Mixer
    All My Mom’s Phone Calls, Real Men
  • Iiti Yli-Harja
    Music by
    All My Mom’s Phone Calls, Real Men, All My Aunt’s Pets
  • Ville-Matti Koskiniemi
    Music by
    All My Mom’s Phone Calls, Real Men
  • Iiti Yli-Harja
    Violinists
    All My Mom’s Phone Calls, Real Men, All My Aunt’s Pets
  • Aarre Yli-Rinne
    Violinists
  • Veera Kortelainen
    Graphic Designer
    Real Men
  • Antti Peltoranta
    Colorist
  • Otto Heikola
    Visual Effects by
    The Punk Voyage, Force of Habit
  • Alli Sillanpää
    Assistant Editor
  • Alli Sillanpää
    Production Assistant
  • Kari Mankinen
    DCP
  • Valtteri Munkki
    Producer
    When the Night Falls, Wandering in the White
  • Mikko Heino
    Producer
    When the Night Falls, Wandering in the White
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Sci-fi, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 10, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    86,500 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Finland
  • Country of Filming:
    Finland
  • Language:
    Finnish
  • Shooting Format:
    Canon EOS R 6.7K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • DOK Leipzig
    Leipzig
    Germany
    October 18, 2022
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Nordic Film Days Lübeck
    Lübeck
    Germany
    November 3, 2022
    Honorable Mention (Best Nordic & Baltic Short Film)
  • KUKI Young Short Film Festival Berlin
    Berlin
    Germany
    November 15, 2022
    Official Selection
  • PÖFF Shorts
    Tallinn
    Estonia
    November 18, 2022
    Baltic Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Anilogue International Animation Festival
    Budapest
    Hungary
    November 26, 2022
    Hungarian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Leuven International Short Film Festival
    Leuven
    Belgium
    December 8, 2022
    Belgian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • DocPoint
    Helsinki
    Finland
    February 2, 2023
    Nordic Premiere
    Official Selection
  • PinX
    Gent
    Belgium
    February 2, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Finn Filmnapok
    Budapest
    Hungary
    February 18, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Tampere Film Festival
    Tampere
    Finland
    March 9, 2023
    Risto Jarva Prize
  • Tricky Women/Tricky Realities
    Wien
    Austria
    March 10, 2023
    Austrian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Ann Arbor Film Festival
    Ann Arbor, Michigan
    United States
    March 23, 2023
    North American Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival
    Los Angeles, California
    United States
    March 24, 2023
    Californian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • REGARD – Saguenay International Short Film Festival
    Saguenay, Quebec
    Canada
    March 25, 2023
    Canadian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Kaboom Animation Festival
    Utrecht
    Netherlands
    March 25, 2023
    Dutch Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Vilnius International Film Festival
    Vilnius
    Lithuania
    March 25, 2023
    Lithuanian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Go Short – International Short Film Festival Nijmegen
    Nijmegen
    Netherlands
    April 7, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Brighton International Animation Festival
    Brighton
    United Kingdom
    April 16, 2023
    UK Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Seattle Nordic Film Festival
    Seattle, Washington
    United States
    April 21, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Hot Docs
    Toronto, Ontario
    Canada
    May 1, 2023
    Ontario Premiere
    Official Selection
  • DOXA Documentary Film Festival
    Vancouver, British Columbia
    Canada
    May 12, 2023
    British Columbia Premiere
    Official Selection
  • NorthwestFest International Documentary Festival
    Edmonton, Alberta
    Canada
    May 13, 2023
    Alberta Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Millennium Docs Against Gravity
    Warsaw
    Poland
    May 15, 2023
    Polish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Animatricks
    Helsinki
    Finland
    May 19, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Superkunstfestival
    Lübeck
    Germany
    May 27, 2023
    Official Selection
  • San Francisco Documentary Festival
    San Francisco, California
    United States
    June 1, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Animafest Zagreb
    Zagreb
    Croatia
    June 7, 2023
    Croatian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Amor Festival
    Santiago de Chile
    Chile
    June 27, 2023
    Chilean Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Fest Anča
    Žilina
    Slovakia
    June 29, 2023
    Slovakian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    Los Angeles, California
    United States
    July 15, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Anibar International Animation Festival
    Peja
    Kosovo
    July 18, 2023
    Kosovo Premiere
    Official Selection
  • International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra
    Ierapetra
    Greece
    August 6, 2023
    Greek Premiere
    Official Selection
  • La Guarimba
    Amantea
    Italy
    August 7, 2023
    Italian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • CinemaQ Film Festival
    Denver, Colorado
    United States
    August 12, 2023
    Colorado Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Turku Animated Film Festival
    Turku
    Finland
    August 23, 2023
    Audience Award
  • Odense International Film Festival
    Odense
    Denmark
    August 28, 2023
    Danish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Queer Film Festival Utrecht
    Utrecht
    Netherlands
    September 3, 2023
    Audience Award for Best Animated Short
  • Lato Wolnej Miłości
    Bydgoszcz
    Poland
    September 1, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Blon Animation and Games Festival
    Klaipėda
    Lithuania
    September 7, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Helsinki International Film Festival
    Helsinki
    Finland
    September 16, 2023
    Moving People and Images Award
  • European Mobility Week
    Bremen
    Germany
    September 16, 2023
    Official Selection
  • International Human Rights Film Festival in Albania
    Tirana
    Albania
    September 18, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Viborg International Animation Festival
    Viborg
    Denmark
    September 25, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Court Métrange
    Rennes
    France
    September 25, 2023
    French Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Fredrikstad Animation Festival
    Fredrikstad
    Norway
    October 19, 2023
    Norwegian Premiere
    Best Nordic-Baltic Short Film
  • dokumentART
    Neubrandenburg
    Germany
    October 24, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Filem'On
    Brussels
    Belgium
    October 25, 2023
    Official Selection
  • CineAstra
    Glasgow
    United Kingdom
    October 27, 2023
    Scotland Premiere
    Official Selection
  • doxs!
    Duisburg
    Germany
    November 6, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Braunschweig International Film Festival
    Braunschweig
    Germany
    November 6, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Beijing Queer Film Festival
    Beijing
    China
    November 10, 2023
    Chinese Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Manchester Animation Festival
    Manchester
    United Kingdom
    November 14, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Animateka
    Ljubljana
    Slovenia
    November 30, 2023
    Slovenian Premiere
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Raina Film Festival Distribution
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
Director Biography - Iiti Yli-Harja

Iiti Yli-Harja (b. 1987) is a film director and a musician. She graduated from Aalto University, Finland, as Master of Arts in 2021. She makes documentary puppet animations. Her films often explore human multidimensionality and incompleteness: the precious and sometimes funny humanity. Her style is rough: the signs of life, the wear and tear of being, are valued. Her documentary puppet animation All My Mom’s Phone Calls (2021) received Finland's premier Jussi Award for the best short film in 2023, and the film BLUSH – An Extraordinary Voyage (2022) received the Finnish Film Foundation's main award, the Risto Jarva award in 2023.

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Director Statement

With this film, I want to contribute to showing many different kinds of male images and to noticing their beauty and power. I have a 10-year-old son and am surprised by how much he has had to face the limited stereotypes of being a boy. Misogyny lives deep in societal structures and therefore men doing things that are perceived as feminine still arouse fear and anger in many. Fatu, or anyone else, shouldn’t have to be afraid to show their true self.