This immigrant might just have filmed the most Finnish summer video ever
Open the paper today in Finland and you will likely find a story about immigration. One underlining theme hammered home with regularity is the idea that immigrants are a burden upon society. This is despite evidence to the contrary. Research shows immigrants are net financial contributors to the countries in which they live. Immigrants enrich societies in many other ways too.
Take filmmaker Leandro Righini. He is a South African immigrant who has made Finland his home for the last ten years. As a Creative Director at Make Films he has spent the last decade making short movies for various companies. Now he has crafted a video about summer cottage life that might be the most Finnish video ever. Here he discusses his inspiration and his love for Finland.
Inspiration and cottage life
So, Leandro, what inspired you to make this marvellous short movie?
Well, I’ve been going to the summer cottage for years and have felt that it’s such a uniquely Nordic experience that I really wanted to try share the feeling and atmosphere that you get at the cottage. It’s literally non-stop action. You’re either cooking, raking, fixing, swimming, chopping, paddling, reading or basking in absolute stillness. I don’t quite know how to describe it. That’s why I made a video. I also feel that the summer cottage reveals a lot about the spirit of Finland. I think that in many ways summer cottages give you a beautiful and rare glimpse of Finland’s soul.
The Finnish summer
What do you like best about Finnish summer?
The explosion of energy. It’s light and warm, people smile more easily, the whole country comes alive. I also love paddling and being in the outdoors. Paddling is especially beautiful here. I find the water so incredibly still that you get lost in the reflections of the sky. It’s a cool place to be. I also love the absolute focus on being with your family, being right on the lake and being able to paddle daily and inventiveness and creativity that you get when you have so much space to play. You can build stuff and be expansive. It’s not something that you can do that easily in the city.
Life in Finland
What are the best things has Finland given to you?
I’ve been living here for ten years or so already and it has been an amazing journey. At first I found myself a little isolated and I found the Finns difficult to relate to, but over the years I have developed an incredible love and respect for Finland, Finns and the way that things are dealt with here. I love the peace, the feeling that you can have trust in the society in general and the sense of equality. I grew up in South Africa so for me these are important. I have the privilege of bringing my children up in a society which respects women and where I know that they can aspire to be anything they want to be. I have also learned to love snow, and have had some pretty amazing adventures.
Beautiful video, thanks for sharing. Summer cottage life is truly something special.
Beautiful video- I was born in Finland and came to Canada with my parents in 1955…the last time I was in Finland was in 2011 and I’m longing to go again..even though I love Canada and have roots here, children etc..I somehow still miss Finland and feel like a fish out of water sometimes. Thank you for the lovely video.
I recently emigrated away from Finland to USA, my grandparents sold the family summer cottage just before summer. I have a tremendous longing to be near the water, in the forests, to curse the cold rain as it falls, meeting people for coffee (that’s apparently not a thing where I live now). The video is full of very very beautiful shots inbetween genuine candids. It was such a bittersweet joy to watch.
I will not stay out of Finland forever. It’s my home.
gee you should like TOTALLY get over 1 million muslim refugees, asap, immigrants are so awesome.
gee you should like TOTALLY get a brain before opening your mouth, asap, brains are so awesome.
Nice but to me a big part of Finnish culture is Berry picking in summer & Pulla with coffee. Also the large stretches of Forrest. If you did/do a winter one remember to include a Sauna. My relatives are Finnish back to 4 or 5 generations and I am Finnish born but don’t live there anymore. From a Finnish perspective having moved away with my family the food is a huge part of the culture, fermented rye bread is quite unique to Finland. We still go berry picking & I grew up cooking Finnish food with mum even though it’s harder to get ingredients here where I live now. That is a big part that survives even if you move away.
Yes! That’s Finnish summer, beautifully captured in all its splendour and serenity. I live in Espoo, and this morning, as I do quite often, I woke up at seven in the morning and took our dog for the ritualistic walk. We clambered the rock hills (kopjes we call them in Southern Africa) close to our home, and sauntered over the verdant forest floor carpeted with ferns, moss and blueberry bushes. I picked some and placed them in a small plastic bag (I never leave home without one these days). Two weeks ago, I came across a colony of delicious boletus edulis mushrooms (herkkutähti in Finnish). I didn’t have a bag or container to carry this delicacy and had to lug them onto my chest (A rather inconvenient arrangement when walking a dog). Rubby and I continued our leisurely walk and then we bumped into raspberries bushes laden with juice berries! I picked up some and headed back home. I prepared my oatmeal porride and sprinkled the blueberries and raspberries and mixed it up with chunky peanut butter. Where in the world can you collect berries and mushrooms from the surrounding forest and consume them right away?
I cannot watch it because of “potentially unlicensed music” ?
That’s strange. It works fine for me here in Finland. Maybe it depends on where you are in the world.