Tracing back a lost identity hidden in the forests of this abandoned war zone.
Standing on a sandy beach, looking in the direction where the old lighthouse once stood,
reminding the people of this village where home is, every 15 seconds. How does trauma get
carried on from a generation to another, and is there a way to stop the cycle? The
filmmaker tries to understand how to heal from the pressures of the past by searching for their
grandmother's childhood home. Taking the journey with their parents, they find themselves in
a village located in the old Karelia, now a part of Russia.
Standing on a sandy beach, looking in the direction where the old lighthouse once stood,
reminding the people of this village where home is, every 15 seconds. How does trauma get
carried on from a generation to another, and is there a way to stop the cycle? The
filmmaker tries to understand how to heal from the pressures of the past by searching for their
grandmother's childhood home. Taking the journey with their parents, they find themselves in
a village located in the old Karelia, now a part of Russia.
Via Karelia is a poetic diary-like film about family roots and disconnections. Filmmaker Elian Mikkola uses digital editing techniques to combine archival home video footage with hand-processed 16mm film.
Via Karelia is currently in distribution by Av-Arkki and CFMDC.
Past Screenings 2021/22:
Mimesis Documentary Festival (USA), Love&Anarchy Helsinki International Film Festival (FIN), Pleasure Dome (CAN), Saskatchewan Independent Film Awards (CAN), West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival (USA), Peripheries Experimental Film & Video Festival (USA), Internationales Frauen* Film Fest (DE), International Short Film Festival Oberhausen (DE), Tranås at the Fringe (SWE).
