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The STORYLINE of SIBELIUS

The movie tells the unique story of Jean Sibelius. It is a life story, a love story and a story about the music that changed history.

The frame story is built on the rememberings of the aged Sibelius in the silence of his home "Ainola". The story begins from the early childhood of the composer, who looses his father at the age of two.

The movie follows the young Sibelius and his colourful study years in Helsinki, Berlin and Vienna.

The young composer is almost constantly penniless but he is rich of ideas. Sibelius falls in love with Aino Järnefelt, the sister of his fellow student and they get romantically engaged in secrecy. Later they marry and several children are born into his family.

Finland lives under the pressure of Russia, who tries to suppress the nationalistic mood of the Finnish people. The Russians forbid any kind of performance of "Finlandia" by Sibelius. Therefore he has to perform it under assumed names in concerts.

To ease the pain after the loss of the youngest daughter, Sibelius takes his family to Rapallo in Italy and there he finds the inspiration to his second symphony.

When time of the revolution finally comes in Russia, Finland gains her independence. Little earlier Sibelius has written a song for the Finnish soldiers called "The Jaeger March". This song is too much for the communists, who put Sibelius on the blacklist.

The aged Sibelius fights alone against the notes as he tries to compose his eighth symphony.
The world is waiting for the new masterpiece, but working is not so easy anymore. He withdraws from the world and finally he throws his last symphony into fire. Aino, that strong and brave woman, stays beside her husband till the end.

One day in autumn a block of cranes comes to carry Jean Sibelius out of this world and slowly they disappear to the horizon.

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CAST
Jean Sibelius MARTTI SUOSALO
Old Jean Sibelius HEIKKI NOUSIAINEN
Aino Sibelius MIINA TURUNEN
Old Aino Sibelius SEELA SELLA
Robert Kajanus VESA VIERIKKO
Martin Wegelius RAIMO GRÖNBERG
Akseli Gallen-Kallela JARMO MÄKINEN
Armas Järnefelt TAPANI KALLIOMÄKI
Adolf Paul KUNTO OJANSIVU
Maria Sibelius REA MAURANEN
Linda Sibelius KIRSI TARVAINEN
Christian Sibelius CHRISTIAN SANDSTRÖM
Uncle Pehr ERKKI RUOKOKOSKI
Adult Eeva Sibelius TITTA ANTTI-POIKA
Elisabeth Järnefelt EIJA NOUSIAINEN
Juhani Aho KONSTA HANNONEN
Eino Leino KARI HIETALAHTI
Wettenhovi-Aspa RISTO KASKILAHTI
Feruccio Busoni HANNU KIVIOJA
Santeri Levas LARS SVEDBERG

80 other actors and actress 2000 assistants

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CREDIT
Screenplay by TIMO KOIVUSALO
Director and producer TIMO KOIVUSALO
Cinematography PERTTI MUTANEN
1st AC JUKKI TUURA
Loader JUSSI KÄRNÄ
Gaffer JARI LEHTINIEMI
Electricians ANSSI LEINO REINO SIVONEN
Grip HANNU TEPPOLA
Assistant Director SUSANNA PALIN
Sound and soundeditor JYRKI LUUKKO
Costume Designer MARJAANA MUTANEN
Make up Artist ERJA MIKKOLA
Set Design JANNE PUTKONEN
Set Master MARKKU MYLLYMÄKI
Prop Design MIKKO KUIVASTO
Local Production Manager in Riga LAIMA FREIMANE
Local Production Co-ordinator in Italy LEENA ANGERMA-VOLPE
Editing by JYRKI LUUKKO & TIMO KOIVUSALO
Mixer OLLI PÄRNÄNEN / SES FILM SOUND OY
Digital post production DIGITAL FILM FINLAND OY
Digital post production producer TOM FORSSTRÖM
Color correction CHRIS WALLACE
Inferno TOMI NIEMINEN
Maya 3D RISTO JANKKILA
Film Recording MIKA KONGAS & TOMI NIEMINEN Laboratory FINNLAB
Promotion by VIESTINTÄTOIMISTO TAITOMYLLY OY Music by JEAN SIBELIUS
Music performed by LAHTI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA conducted by OSMO VÄNSKÄ
Distributed by BUENA VISTA INTERNATIONAL FINLAND JUSSI MÄKELÄ & PEKKA LEHESMAA
Web design MARKO JÄRVENPÄÄ

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DIRECTOR
The managing director of Artista Filmi Oy
TIMO KOIVUSALO

Timo Johannes KOIVUSALO: Director, producer, writer, composer and TV - host.
Birth: The 31th of October 1963, Finland

Film awards received in Finland:
- 1996 "The hand of the Humanist" special prize assigned at the   Viitasaari Film festival
- 1997 "The Quality award" - received for feature film "Pekko ja   muukalainen" assigned by the Finnish Government.
- 2001 "The Film producer of the year"
- assigned by the Association of Finnish producers and the   Association of Finnish Distributors.
- 2001 "The Film act of the year"
-award assigned at the Filmfestival in Savonlinna.
- 2001 "The Quality award"
- received for feature film "Rentun Ruusu" assigned by the Finnish   Government.
- 2001 "The Suomi prize for cinema arts" - assigned by the   Finnish Government.

Film works of Timo Koivusalo:
8 feature films
1993 PEKKO AIKAMIESPOJAN POIKAMIESAIKA
(eng. Pekko) Feature film, drama-comedy for the whole family. Cinema and TV distribution Timo Koivusalo: Leading actor, scriptwriter, composer of the film music and co-producer.
1994 PEKKO JA POIKA
(eng. Pekko and the boy) Feature film, drama-comedy for the whole family. Cinema and TV distribution Timo Koivusalo: Director, producer, leading actor, scriptwriter and composer of the film music. Film works…
1995 PEKKO JA MASSAHURMAAJA
(eng. Pekko and the charmer) Feature film, drama-comedy for the whole family. Cinema and TV distribution Timo Koivusalo: Director, producer, leading actor, scriptwriter and composer of the film music.
1996 PEKKO JA MUUKALAINEN
(eng. Pekko and the stranger) Feature film, drama-comedy for the whole family. Cinema and TV distribution Timo Koivusalo: Director, producer, leading actor, scriptwriter, composer of the film music.
1997 PEKKO JA UNISSAKÄVELIJÄ
(eng. Pekko and the sleepwalker) Feature film, drama-comedy for the whole family. Cinema and TV distribution Timo Koivusalo: Director, producer, leading actor, scriptwriter, composer of the film music.
1999 KULKURI JA JOUTSEN
(eng. The Swan and the Wanderer) Feature film, drama fiction. Cinema and TV distribution. Timo Koivusalo: Director, producer, editor and scriptwriter.
2001 RENTUN RUUSU
(eng. The Rose of the Rascal) Feature film, drama fiction. Cinema and TV distribution. Timo Koivusalo: Director, producer, editor and scriptwriter. The Rose of the Rascal was the most popular film in Finland in the year 2001.
2003 SIBELIUS
Feature film. World premier in Finland the 4th of September 2003. Drama fiction about the life of the great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Timo Koivusalo: Director, producer, editor and scriptwriter.

TV - works of Timo Koivusalo:
1992 - 2002 TUTTU JUTTU - SHOW
TV - host in the most popular Finnish weekly TV-entertainment program ever broadcasted on Yleisradio TV2. Timo Koivusalo planned and Co-produced the program.
2002- LEIKIN VARJOLLA
Tv - host and Co-producer in his own weekly entertainment program on Yleisradio TV2.
Guest star in lots of TV-programs in Finland

Timo Koivusalo and Music:
-Several compositions and lyrics that has result in gold- and   platinum records.
- "Kuurankukka" - album (1992) sold triple platinum.
- Timo Koivusalo has composed Film music to 5 full-length   feature films.
- Several concerts in Finland.

Books:
- "Koomikon kyyneleet" (eng. The tears of a comedian), the life of   Timo Koivusalo made by Reijo Korpeinen (1996).
- "Pekko ja outolintu" (eng. Pekko and the oddball) 1997, an   adventure novel for children written by Timo Koivusalo.

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CONTACT
Contact us on Production company

ARTISTAFILMI OY
Tel. +358 2 647 7441
Fax. +358 2 647 7441

www.artistafilmi.fi
artista@artistafilmi.fi

Contact person
Susanna Palin
e-mail susanna.palin@artistafilmi.fi
mobile + 358 - 400 - 710 007

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