How to survive the dark Finnish winter? In Prisoners of the Ground Stella van Voorst van Beest takes us on a journey through Finland to the rhythm of the Finnish tango. In karaoke bars and dance halls we meet people from all walks of life and get to know their life stories full of nostalgia and melancholy. To get through this long, cold and dark season they dream of the ‘happy land’ as is featured in the popular tango song “Satumaa”. And while they find solace in the tango the snow outside slowly starts to melt, but when the sun finally breaks through, will these prisoners of the ground be able to reach the happy place they dream about?
Crew
Director & screenwriter: Stella van Voorst van Beest
Producer: Volya Films
Co-producer: Cassette for Timescapes
Director of photography: Sander Snoep
Editor: Jan de Coster
Sound engineers: Pirkko Tütinen | Joost Roskam | Wouter Veldhuis
Sound designer: Bart Jilesen
Composer: –
Length
89 minutes
Year
2009
Genre
Documentary
Financiers
Netherlands Film Fund | Rotterdam Media Fund | Thuiskopie Fund | Flanders Audiovisual Fund | Rotterdamse Kunststichting
Festivals
Netherlands Film Festival 2009 | DocsLisboa 2009 | IDFA 2009 | Tirana International Film Festival 2009 | Noordelijk 2009 | Worldfilm Festival Tartu 2010 | BAFICI Buenos Aires 2010 | MARFICI Mar del Plata 2010