14. Two Modes of Transnational Filmmaking

Klaus Härö and Aki Kaurismäki exemplify in two different ways the possible ways in which transnational contexts, both as regards production and aesthetics, have created new prospects for a small nation cinema. Härö made his first film in Sweden and thus came to know a film production tradition that was much more stable than what Finland could offer. The transnational collaboration also allowed him to deepen the themes of the experience of Finns or Finnish speakers living in Sweden. Kaurismäki in turn has succeeded in creating a small-scale but stable independent production company, which has allowed him to cultivate his own highly idiosyncratic style in which he has integrated stylistic features taken from various masters of international cinema.