Biography

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(born in Helsinki 1964)

director / screenwriter / author

Ville Suhonen has been making documentaries, nature and children’s films, short fictions, dance- and music videos (e.g. by Värttinä and Angelin tytöt) for more than 30 years. He has written and co-directed box office hits, feature adventure ”Tommy and the Wildcat” (1998) and nature documentary ”Tale of a Forest” (2012) which was the most commercially successful Finnish documentary of all time. Historical documentary film ”Seamstress” (2015) won the Jussi Award for the Best Documentary 2016.

His films have been sold to over 100 countries and visited to over 100 festivals. He has also worked as film and culture critic since 1985. He has also written three novels and couple of nonfiction books.

Awards

  • Peace Prize, The Committee of 100 in Finland 2021: ”Ikuiseen rauhaan”
  • WWF Nature Book of the Year Finalist 2017: ”Sammalhuone”
  • Elli and Artturi Hiidenheimo Foundation Award 2017
  • Vihti County Medal 2016 for ”long-term work as an in-depth knowledge of history and appreciation of the experiences of nature”
  • The State Award for Public Information 2016: ”Seamstress”
  • Jussi Award for the Best Documentary 2016: ”Seamstress”
  • Jussi Award Nomination Best Script 2016: ”Seamstress”
  • Special Prize in the National Competition at Tampere Film Festival 2016: ”Seamstress”
  • The State Quality Award 2016: ”Seamstress”
  • Grand Prix and Best Direction: World Mountain Documentary Festival of Qinghai China 2014: ”Tale of a Forest”
  • Prize of the Environment 2013, The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation: ”Tale of a Forest”
  • The State Quality Award 2013: ”Tale of a Forest”
  • The State Quality Award 2012: ”Frozen Hell – Prisoners of War in Finland 1941-42”
  • Best Documentary Film in Northern Character Festival in Murmansk 2012: ”Frozen Hell – Prisoners of War in Finland 1941-42”
  • Prix de la Connaissance et de la Protection de la Faune Europeénne, Fest.Int.du Film Animalier, Albert 2005: ”Song of the Whooper Swan”
  • Children’s Culture State Award 1999: ”Tommy and the Wildcat”
  • Best Children’s Film, Wildlife Europe Festival 1999: ”Tommy and the Wildcat
  • The State Quality Award 1999: ”Tommy and the Wildcat”
  • Jussi Award Nomination Best Script 1998: ”Tommy and the Wildcat”
  • Golden Gate Award San Francisco International Film Festival 1997: ”Moments in Time”
  • The Ministry of Culture Award Ekotop Film Festival in Bratislava, Slovakia 1996: ”Moments in Time”.
  • The State Quality Award 1996: ”Moments in Time”
  • Bronze Medal Documentary Category in Media & Message Festival, Finland 1996: ”Moments in Time”
  • Main Prize National Competition at Tampere Film Festival 1996: ”Moments in Time”
  • Bronze Medal National Music Video Competition 1993: ”The Mingy Maid”.
  • Special Mention International Video Dance Festival ini Cannes 1992: ”Black + White”
  • The Finnish Short Film Honorary Award 1990: ”Colony of Survivors”.

Filmography

  • Price of Peace (Ikuiseen rauhaan, 2021) documentary 82 min.
  • Seamstress (Ompelijatar, 2015) documentary 93′
  • Tale of a Forest (Metsän tarina, 2012; co-dir, sc.) documentary 75′
  • Frozen Hell – Prisoners of War in Finland 1941-42 (Jäämarssi, 2011) documentary 85′
  • Four Journeys on the River (Neljä matkaa Vantaanjoella, 2007; co-dir, sc.) documentary 75′
  • Song of the Whooper Swan (Siipi lumihohtoinen, 2004; co-dir, sc.) documentary 50′
  • A Journey with the cranes (Matkalla kurkien kanssa, 2002; co-dir, co-sc.) documentary 55′
  • Paradise in the City (Paratiisi kaupungissa, 2000;co-dir, co-sc.) documentary 55′
  • Tommy and the Wildcat (Poika ja ilves, 1998;co-dir, co-sc.)family adventure 90′
  • A Spider Swindle (Hämähäkkihuijaus, 1997) children’s film 30′
  • The Holy Swan (Pyhä lintu, onnen lintu, 1996; script) nature documentary 25′
  • Moments in Time (Katoavat hetket, 1996) art documentary 34′
  • From Speech to Song (Puhe lauluksi, sanat musiikiksi, 1995) music documentary 60′
  • Arctica – the Mythical Migration (Linnunratojen kansaa, 1995) nature documentary 24′
  • Io (1994) music video 5′
  • Marea (1993) music video 5′
  • Pihi neito – The Mingy Maid (1993) music video and -film 5′
  • Wild-Grown City (Villiintynyt kaupunki, 1993) environmental documentary 58′
  • Dolla (1992) music video 5′
  • Black & White (1992) dance video 12′
  • Student Life (Ylioppilaselämää, 1990) documentary 20′
  • Colony of Survivors (Selviytyjät, 1990) environmental documentary 27′
  • Silent City (1989) dance video 15′
  • Helsinki. Architecture (Helsinki.Arkkitehtuuri, 1989) documentary 20′
  • Thinker (Ajattelija, 1989) dance video 6′
  • The Kumenius Case (Tapaus Kumenius, 1989) documentary 52′
  • The Last Waterfront (Viimeinen kaupunginosa, 1988) documentary 16′
  • Flame of Functionalism (Funkiksen liekki, 1988; ass.dir.) documentary 40′
  • Time of the City (Kaupungin aika, 1987) documentary 20′
  • Dream Mode (1986) short fiction 16′
  • Paris, Breakfast (1985) short fiction 20′

Bibliography

  • Insights into Antti Peippo (2020) (editor)
  • Sammalhuone (Moss Room, 2017)
  • Seamstress – The Death and the Life of Martta Koskinen (2016)
  • Tale of the Forest (2013)
  • Källskär (2008) (photographs)
  • Tuulensieppaaja (Wind Catcher, 2005) Novel
  • Tommy and the Wildcat – Return to the Wild (2003) Sequel of the story
  • Tommy and the Wildcat (1999) Novelization of the film
  • Tommy and the Wildcat – An Adventure in the Wilderness (1999) Illustrated book for younger audience

Contact

filmiville (at) gmail.com