The list of Finnish comedies to watch just got a little longer. Or, at least you could start the list. Heavy Trip, which debuted in the United States at SXSW, is now available on iTunes and Vudu. The comedy features a heavy metal band of misfits from a small Finnish town. When they get their hopes up about playing at a music festival and rumors spread that they’ve been chosen to perform, the band starts heavy-duty preparations even though they’re without an invite. Shot in two countries and featuring dark scenarios with quirky twists, Heavy Trip is a frivolous romp into a wild subculture.
We spoke to the two directors about their debut film. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Libby Coleman: Tell me about how you guys got into filmmaking.
Jukka Vidgren: I got into filmmaking really young, like 8 or 9 years old. I was enthusiastic about watching films. They spoke to me and kept me excited. My friend got a video camera and we decided we would do our own film. It kind of stuck. I started thinking it would be an actual profession to do and then I went to film school.
Juuso Laatio: Our beginnings are really similar. I got an 8mm camera when I was seven. I tried to be an architect and failed. Then I got to film school and we were the same class year. Since then, it’s been nice to tag along.
LC: What was the best scene of the film to shoot?
JV: It’s so hard when you’re shooting to say what bits will work as comedy. We get an idea then and there, but with comedy it kind of builds up in the editing room. I’m always asking after shooting if what we just did will work or not. We had the big stuff like blowing up buildings, crashing cars in this film. Those are the things you want to do as a kid. And, yes, it was cool.
JL: We had such a tight schedule that we had to improvise how to tell the story in fewer shots. We came up with crazy solutions to save time and improve the film. I personally really like the scenes where the band’s playing because the music was such a big influence and source of inspiration.
LC: How's the response been in Finland?
JV: People who see the film really do love it. We have a few projects in line, and we are writing a few things. But it wasn’t like the premiere and then everybody’s calling us. People have fun with this film abroad, which I’ve found especially great because it’s always felt like a very Finnish thing. We have the most metal bands per capita in Finland so it’s very Finnish, but it seems to work for other people as well. There’s something universal there.
LC: What were your influences?
JV: I don’t know if there’s a living person like these characters. But we’ve done a lot of music videos in the north of Finland for similar bands. We have gotten to know those guys, these great dudes who are kind of scary looking with long hair but are usually really nice dudes with passion for the music they’re making. The closest thing was Blues Brothers.
LC: What's next?
JV: I think we’ll be making features, though I don’t know if we’d say no to music videos.
JL: I have one music video coming up actually. A good project is a good project. I’m not avoiding any good ideas, but a feature is going to be what we’re aiming for.
