Saara Cantell (FI)

Finnish director and screenwriter.

Saara Cantell is a Finnish director and screenwriter with a career spanning over 30 years. She is engaged in topics such as gender equality, representation of gender in film, visibility of short films and the treatment of film workers – questions that are highly relevant for the industry today, in Finland as well as internationally. With nine feature films in her resumé, as well as numerous shorts and television series, Cantell is one of Finland’s most productive directors.

Cantell has a Ph.D. from Aalto University School of Arts in Helsinki. In her dissertation Cinematic diamonds: narrative storytelling strategies in short fiction film from 2011, she proposes alternative ways of approaching short film. Cantell has published two more books after that: in 2018, Lähikuvan lumo – ohjaajan ja näyttelijän yhteistyö elokuvassa (Aalto ARTS Books), a book on film acting and directing actors, and in 2020 Cantell published her first fiction novel Kesken jääneet hetket (Tammi).

In 2010 Saara Cantell was awarded the Finnish State Film Arts Prize together with cinematographer Marita Hällfors. Cantell has written and directed numerous short films, several episodes for television series and is in production with her tenth feature film Siblings (Sisarukset). Siblings is filmed over the course of seven years, depicting a story where the twins Joni and Jenna from Finland find out that they have a half-sister in Iceland, which changes the course of their lives.

Anna-Sofia Lappalainen (2020)

Basic info

Main profession: Director
Born: 1968
Active: 1990-

Filmography

Director:
Karkurit (TV Series, 7 episodes, TBA)
Sisarukset (TBA)
Onneli, Anneli ja nukutuskello (2018)
Onneli, Anneli ja Salaperäinen muukalainen (2017)
Djävulens jungfru (2016)
Adas och Gladas vinter (2015)
Onneli ja Anneli (2014)
Ainoat oikeat (2013)
Stars Above (2012)
Heartbeats (2009)
Ikiomaksi (Documentary short, 2007)
Unna ja Nuuk (2006)
Den stora resan (Short, 2006)
Mahdollisuus (Short, 2005)
Tiistai, päivävuoro (Short, 2005)
Rajametsän tarinoita (TV Series, 2004)
Vasikantanssi (TV Series, 12 episodes, 2003-2004)
Potretti (Short, 2003)
Diagnoosi (Short, 2002)
Jätkien ilta (Short, 2002)
Hetki jolloin (Short, 2001)
Paha kakku (Short, 2000)
Peilikirkas päivä (Short, 1997)
Sirpalesatu (Short, 1995)
Todellinen magia (Short, 1993)
Hänestä ja heistä (Short, 1992)
Häälaulu (Short, 1990)

Screenwriter:
Sisarukset (TBA)
Djävulens jungfru (2016)
Stars Above (2012)
Heartbeats (2009)
Ikiomaksi (Documentary short, 2007)
Unna ja Nuuk (2006)
Mahdollisuus (Short, 2005)
Tiistai, päivävuoro (Short, 2005)
Potretti (Short, 2003)
Jätkien ilta (Short, 2002)
Hetki jolloin (Short, 2001)
Susi rajalla (TV Series, 8 episodes, 2001)
Paha kakku (Short, 2000)
Mustan kissan kuja (TV Series, 2000)
Peilikirkas päivä (Short, 1997)
Sirpalesatu (Short, 1995)
Todellinen magia (Short, 1993)
Veera Vee ja peto (TV Short, 1993)
Hänestä ja heistä (Short, 1992)
Häälaulu (Short, 1990)

Editor:
Mahdollisuus (Short, 2005)
Tiistai, päivävuoro (Short, 2005)
Potretti (Short, 2003)
Jätkien ilta (Short, 2002)
Hetki jolloin (Short, 2001)
Sirpalesatu (Short, 1995)
Hänestä ja heistä (Short, 1992)
Häälaulu (Short, 1990)

Read more about the films at Svensk Filmdatabas (SE)

Published works

“Cinematic diamonds: narrative storytelling strategies in short fiction film” (dissertation, 2011).
“Lähikuvan lumo – ohjaajan ja näyttelijän yhteistyö elokuvassa” (Aalto ARTS Books, 2018).
Kesken jääneet hetket (Tammi, 2020).

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