On March 11, the Tampere Film Festival is screening what is seen to be a groundbreaking documentary.
Director Joonas Neuvonen highlights the lives of drug addicts in the northern city of Rovaniemi in his new film Reindeer Spotting.
The material, shot in 2003 and 2004, examines the joys and sorrows of a group of friends.
Neuvonen says that it was hard to find a production company that would not have tried to censor his material.
The main character, Jani, was 19 years old at the time that the film was shot. He takes the drug Subutex intravenously, steals, shoots amphetamine, and tries to deal with drug debts.
We agreed with Jani and the others that we would make a film that does not moralize from above, and that it should show real life from our point of view," he told the Helsingin Sanomat.
Neuvonen sees his film as a part of the debate on drug policy. He says that addicts have been deprived of their human rights in Finland.
I was just in a place where the guys were making comparisons about how they had been beaten by the cops. The current trend is not sustainable. It causes suffering among those who are the victims, he said.
Reindeer Spotting...Pako Joulumaasta
Director Joonas Neuvonen highlights the lives of drug addicts in the northern city of Rovaniemi in his new film, called Reindeer Spotting.
Published: 11.03.2010 14:37
Book and Movie Reviews
17.12.2010 13:31
Siku's pause has extended as considered whether to continue this daily circumpolar news round-up In the meantime, we encourage you to consult our archived material, much of which is not accessible elsewhere on the internet.
Read more 17.12.2010 04:59
"We recognize that the Mackenzie Gas Project would have much larger and more far-reaching effects than previous developments in the North"
16.12.2010 12:16
The park lies in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, an area known for its rich bird cliffs and large populations of walrus and polar bears.
Read more 16.12.2010 11:56
Unlike Axel Heiberg's fossil forest, this one lies with the national park on Ellesmere.
Read more 15.12.2010 11:33
“If [the federal government] is serious about sovereignty and Canada’s North, we really need viable communities to be living in"
Read more 15.12.2010 11:25
"I am delighted that the negotiations ended with progress at key points such as adaptation to climate change, shaping and formal approval of a Green Fund, and transferring knowledge and technology"
Read more 15.12.2010 11:15
A single household will dispose of 60-65 kilos of still edible food per year, a new study found.
15.12.2010 11:10
Alaska filed a lawsuit Dec. 14 in an effort to stop the National Marine Fisheries Service's plan to protect endangered sea lions.
15.12.2010 10:55
The work of Inuk artist and writer Alootook Ipellie continues to be appreciated— mainly in Europe.
Read more 14.12.2010 12:43
The Yellowknife woman was caught swallowing crack that she had been selling while pregnant.
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