Oroza, whose mother is Finnish and father is Bolivian, has spent a fair amount of time collecting stories from around the world using the story tent technique, including in Bolivia, South Africa and Kenya. This is his first long documentary, though he worked with his filmmaker brother Benjamin Oroza on other films, including the award winning Voices from El Alto, an award winning story tent project filmed in Bolivia. “I find that the need to talk is the same,” he said. Many of the stories are melancholy, broken up with sepia-toned panoramas of Finland’s vast beauty as well as intimate photos shared by participants. Throughout the !lm, Oroza returns to shots of the Paavolan tammi, one of the oldest trees in Finland. One senses that its majestic branches embrace centuries of stories and have their own twists and turns as well. Oroza said he focused on the apolitical, editing down the hundreds of stories to about 32 for the !lm. They consist of Finns who might be neighbors, distant relatives, or the person sitting next to you on the bus — not of celebrities or politicians. “I cut every minister, every president,” he said, smiling. Instead, we hear of a !rst kiss at the age of 49. Three young boys confess to mistakenly starting a brush !re. A presumably homeless man explains how comfortable construction sites are for setting up camp. The adrenaline rush of killing the bad guy in a video game. A last kiss before the love of your life drifts to the next world. he stories that didn’t make the !lm will also have a place in history. While they currently live on Oroza’s computer, he will eventually hand them over to the Finnish government to archive, he said. Though the film is being released as part of Finland’s centenary, Oroza says that the stories themselves are timeless and meant to bear the soul of the people. Oroza said he hoped people who watched the movie would feel something and learn something. And listen. Tarinoiden Suomi premieres in cinemas August 11.

BY: JESSICA ROCHA 2017

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