The Eternal Sleep of the Man is a collaborative film by Sami Sänpäkkilä and Anna-Mari Nousiainen.
The work premiered as a 15-channel installation in Gallery Rajatila, Tampere in January 2018. The film is also available for screenings as a nine minute short film.
The Eternal Sleep of The Man depicts magical realism and seeks solace in our urban environment. In the passage titled #suomineito (#finnishmaiden) a woman in blue clothes and blue hair hangs upside down from a rope in a tree. In the passage Kultasuu (Goldmouth) Nousiainen cuts her hair in the middle of a golden glitter rain. In another passage a man reads a burning book and sings of hope.
The film draws influence from the pop and underground culture both Nousiainen and Sänpäkkilä have ingested in their lives. Despite their age difference both artists’ cultural influences stem from the same Hollywood film and indie art sources.
Sami Sänpäkkilä is a visual artist, filmmaker, and musician living in Tampere. His work has been shown in places such as the Mänttä Art Festival and MoMA in New York. He received the art prize for the region of Pirkanmaa in 2014.
Anna-Mari Nousiainen is a filmmaker and artist, whose work has been exhibited at numerous festivals and galleries. Her first short film, Glitter Stories, won 1st prize at the Artova Film Festival in 2015. She has also directed many music videos for Finnish performing artists.
15-channel installation | 30 s – 4 min loops | 2 stereo channels | 16:9, 4:3, 2.39:1 | HD | FI-EN | 2018
1-channel short film | 9 min | 5.1 surround | 2.35:1 | HD | DCP | FI-EN | 2018