They Came in Crowded Boats and Trains
They Came in Crowded Boats and Trains is a short film that combines the stories of Finnish refugees at the end of the World War II with the journeys of refugees from Iraq who have travelled to Finland in the present day.
In 2015, 30,000 refugees, mainly from Iraq, crossed the border from Haparanda, Sweden to Tornio. However, less than 100 years ago, the stream of refugees flowed in the opposite direction when 56,000 Finns fled to Sweden across the same border during the autumn of 1944. The Finns travelled to Sweden on boats and trains as well as on foot, having walked for days and for hundreds of kilometers through the wilderness of Northern Finland.
By combining these stories, They Came in Crowded Boats and Trains places the present refugee situation within a historical context, and presents a different view of Finnish history, where Northern Finland is seen as a place that people have both escaped from and sought shelter in.
The film mixes the past and the present by showing refugees from Iraq re-enacting scenes of Finns leaving Northern Finland. The narration in the film is based on archival letters, diaries and interviews of Finns who escaped to Sweden as refugees in 1944. They tell stories of the difficult journey, cultural differences, the feeling of leaving their homes and homeland, and the safety of arriving in a peaceful host nation – stories which clearly resonate with the experiences of refugees today.
By creating a dialog between the past and present, the film fights against historical amnesia, reminding us that not so long ago Finns and Europeans were themselves refugees and migrants. The film highlights the importance of hospitality, and our responsibility to protect and welcome others by recognizing our shared vulnerability in times of difficulty.
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Mark RobertsDirector
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Minna RainioDirector
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Mark RobertsWriter
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Minna RainioWriter
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Maria GulstenProducer
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Sofie AbdiKey Cast
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Osama Al-TaeKey Cast
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Harith RaadKey Cast"Narrator"
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Fatima Ahmad HetlerKey Cast"Little girl's voice"
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Hussam Al EqabyKey Cast"Father's Voice"
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Ilmari MannermaaCinematographer
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Jani JohansénEditor
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Janne AiraksinenOriginal Soundtrack
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Joonas Mattila1st Assistant Camera
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Arto Rajanen1st Assistant Camera
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Joonas MattilaGrip
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Markku RytinkiDrone Pilot
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Heikki IllikainenSound Design
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Henry KestiläPhotography
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Piia PuntolaProduction Manager
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Hanna-Maija ParonenProduction Manager
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Liisa KinnunenProduction Assistant
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Kaarina SiltakorpiProduction Assistant
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Elisa RaumaProduction Assistant
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Aila PriceProduction Assistant
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Project Type:Documentary, Short
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Genres:Documentary-Fiction, Drama
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Runtime:20 minutes 20 seconds
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Completion Date:January 1, 2018
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Production Budget:80,000 EUR
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Country of Origin:Finland
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Country of Filming:Finland
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:RED
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Aspect Ratio:2.39:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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FrontDocAosta
Italy
Special Mention -
Camden International Film FestivalCamden, MA
United States
North American Premiere
Official Selection -
Aesthetica Film FestivalYork
United Kingdom
UK Premiere
Official Selection -
Reggio Film FestivalReggio
Italy
Official Selection -
Social World Film FestivalVico Equense
Italy
Official Selection -
Prescott Film FestivalPrescott, Arizona
United States
Official Selection -
Close:Up Reykjavik Film FestivalReykjavik
Iceland
Official Selection -
Royal Starr Film FestivalRoyal Oak, Michigan
United States
Winner, Best International Documentary Short -
Live at Heart Film FestivalOrebro
Sweden
September 5, 2019 -
Turku BiennialTurku
Finland
Premiere
Main Prize
Distribution Information
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AV-ARKKICountry: Finland
Minna Rainio (b. 1974, Finland) and Mark Roberts (b. 1970, England) are an award-winning Helsinki-based artist duo who produce short films and large-scale, moving-image installations.
Their heavily research-based work investigates the impact of social and political power on individual experience and history, and its manifestation in physical spaces. Their installations often create immersive spaces that mirror the subjects of their artworks, and implicate the spectator as a participant in the implementation of power relations. Their visual language frequently employs narrative techniques to create a “documentary fiction” that reveals the connections between the personal, political, social, commercial, and ecological spheres, and their effect on our everyday lives.
Their major works include They Came in Crowded Boats and Trains, How Everything Turns Away, Maamme / Vårt Land, Eight Rooms, Angles of Incidence, Borderlands, and Some we kept, some we threw back.
Their films have screened in the Official Selections of Camden International Film Festival (USA), Aesthetica (UK), Interfilm (Berlin), Punto de Vista (Spain), LISFE (Leiden), FrontDoc (Italy), Reggio Film Festival (Italy), and FIFE (Paris).
Their installations have been exhibited extensively around the world, in solo shows including Luleå Kulturenshus, Sweden (2014), Peri Photography Gallery, Turku, Finland (2014), Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, Finland (2012), Franklin Art Works, Minneapolis, USA (2010), and the Finnish Cultural Institute, Paris France (2009).
They have also participated in numerous group shows at galleries including ICPNA, Peru (2014), MEC, Montevideo, Uruguay (2014), Preus Museum, Norway (2013), Pori Art Museum, Finland (2013), Governer’s Island, New York (2011), Thionville, France (2008), Finnish Photography Triennial (2006), and Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki (2004).
Their work has been selected for exhibition by renowned curators such as Katarina Gregos, Ritva Röminger-Czako, Andreas Vowinckel, Leena-Maija Rossi, Kari Soinio, and Marketta Seppälä.