Press release  1.7.2008


The best topical relevance and interpretation

-  Last yoik awarded in Global Indigenous Film Festival in Nepal

The indigenous peoples film festivals in Katmandu were a great success for the organizers

Look: http://www.ifanepal.org.np/


There were more than fifty movies invited in film festivals and Last yoik in Saami forests?  was one of four awarded.
-There was lot of interest on the situation of Saami people and the role of Finnish state in the conflict was a surprise for many,  comments Hannu Hyvönen, the director of the movie.  -I had to address that the conflict is not between Finnish ordinary people and the Saami.  Most of Finnish cityzens respect Saami culture.  However,  unfortunately this conflict has not got enough room in Finnish main media and people just dont know the destrcution what happens in Saami home area in Lapland.  In this situation we are really happy and honoured of the award.  All attention for the situation is helping to raise the needed discussion.

The situation in Nepal is now extremely interesting specially by the viewpoint of indigenous peoples in Nepal.
There exists a great cultural diversity in the country with more than 100 ethnic groups with their own languages and culture.  The number of indigenous people is about 40% of the whole population.
Earlier these people were the most lowest cast but now when the feodal kingdom has collapsed and Nepal is seeking its way to parlamentarism the situation is changed.  The optimism among indigenous peoples was strongly present also in film festivals.

Hannu Hyvönen made lot of documentation  and interviews on the situation in Nepal and those footages can soon be seen in this webpage.

If needed more info, please dont hesitate to contact:

Hannu Hyvönen
hannu[at]elonmerkki.net
p. 0408317733
http://elonmerkki.net


Press release 17th April


The film "LAST YOIK IN SAAMI FORESTS?" has been selected to take part in International Documentary Official Section to compete for the Golden Sun Award  from 15th Catalonia Environmental International Film Festival that will take place in El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona) next June (31st May-8th June)   http://www.ficma.com/Bienvenida.html


Press release 31.3.2008 Finland


Festival tour continous in East and West


We are happy to announce that these three interesting film festivals has accepted our documentary ( go to film page ) in their programs:

The Global Green Indigenous Film Festival
April 18-20, 2008 in Santa, Fe New Mexico
http://www.ggiff.com/

2008 Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival
May 1–4, 2008 at the University of Washington in Seattle
http://www.hazelfilm.org

Green Film Festival in Seoul (22~28 May, 2008)
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/10/planet_in_focus.php

Press release 22.3.2008


Kathrine Kight Award in Earth Vision Film festivals


The festival trip in the grass root film festivals in Santa Cruz was successfull and interesting experience.
The documentary Last yoik in Saami forests?
was awarded with Gatharine Knigt Award. The director of the documentary took part the festivals and made there also two videoworks.
-I heard about the ongoing tree sitting demonstration in campus area and wanted to look what it about. What I find is an extraordinary combination: university in wilderness. Unfortunately it seems that this unique special quality of that university is not fully understood and developing plans treat to destroy the spirituality and ecology around the university.
Look the video here:

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/03/14/18485660.php

When returning back from festivals was also this short documentary shooted. Look the demonstration of Tiibetan refugees in San Fransisco.

link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=LnQa6-v1Jj8

More info: hannu[at]elonmerkki.net


Press release 29th February 2008


Last yoik in Saami forests going to Earth Vision International Environmental Film Festival


We are proud and happy to announce that the US premiere of Last yoik in Saami forest ? - documentary for UN (final version) will be screened in Earth Vision International Film Festival on Tuesday March 4th at the Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz

EarthVision International Environmental Film Festival 2008 celebrates its 10th year of highlighting films about crucial ecological issues, providing a venue for independent filmmakers from around the world and inspiring people to get involved in creating positive change for the planet.

EarthVision 2008 will be held March 3rd – 8th, 2008 with a special screening for Act Locally on Earth Day in April. Award winning films will be screened at the Mello Center in Watsonville and at the Rio Theatre and the Veteran’s Memorial Hall in Santa Cruz. EarthVision will culminate with a celebration honoring the filmmakers and people on the front lines of the environmental movement.

The director of the documentary Hannu Hyvönen will be in Santa Cruz during the whole festival. Contact: hannu (at) elonmerkki.net
Read more:
http://www.earthvisionfest.org/


Press release 19th February 2008 - Finland


Case of Finnish forestry and indigenous rights

Illegal logging in Saami home area in Lapland?


Finland Institut in Deutchland  is arranging a documentary screening and panel discussion on the situation in  Finnish Lapland. The event is on Thursday 21th February in University of Humboldt in Berlin.

Read the program here:

English

German
PDF File

The documentary Last yoik in Saami forests? - a report for UN
follows the hot drama played recent years in  Inari, in Lapland. The long lasted conflict between  Finnish State and forestry in the other hand and  indigenous saami reindeer herders and  wilderness protection movements in the other hand,  came visible in 2005.   Saami reindeer herders asked Greenpeace and other environmental organizations to help and Greenpeace established their Forest Rescue Station in threatened forests.

The conflict escalated when forestry workers set up their own Anti Terror Info Center and started continuous around a clock disturbing and threatening against Greenpeace campers and their visitors.

-Unfortunately this is not some sudden phenomena in local atmosphere, says Hannu Hyvönen, director of documentary.   - The policy of threatening  and suppression has been one ruling method before Greenpeace camp and after that. One of hot claims in the documentary is that there has been for a long time  a situation where local and regional press is giving lot of room for constant agitation and aggression against Saami reindeer herding and also against environmentalists.      After lot of examples of
violent threatening and suppression its strange to see how also Finnish Secret Policy,  Supo,  joins in that chorus.   The head of Supo claims in the documentary Greenpeace to be a violent terrorist organization.

The first version of the documentary had its  global premiere  in May 2006 in New York. Saami Council arranged a side event in connection on the fifth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Since that the film has been presented in several film festivals around the world. Read more:
http://www.elonmerkki.net/en/presentations

Until now it has not broad casted in any of Finnish television channels.  First television broadcasting was in science channel of SVT  in Sweden.

The producer Cooperative Marjarinteen Metsapuutarha has made a contract of international dvd and tv sales distribution with Documentary Educational Resource  http://der.org

In Europe the distributor is the producer.

-This documentary was made to raise up dialogue and discussion here in Finland.  Until now we have failed but we hope that international attention could  open the situation.  Finland is  a member of European Union and it the issue of all EU countries what happens in Saamiland today.

More info
http://elonmerkki.net
hannu@elonmerkki.net
GSM +348408317733


Press release 25.9.2007

Last yoik in Saami forests in Planet in Focus film festival in Canada

*Planet in Focus* is Canada’s most acclaimed International Environmental Film and Video festival. The annual film fest showcases compelling documentaries, animation, dramatic features, shorts, and experimental works that celebrate, question, and establish varied ways of viewing the state of our world.

The 8th Annual Festival scheduled to take place October 24-28, 2007. View the festival schedule here:

http://www.planetinfocus.org/festival

For the festival screening we have made the updated version of the documentary. The latest move of Finnish state own company was to start logging in conflict forests in May 2007. But becouse no one of the big paper companies did not want to buy that wood, the stocks from wilderness ended up to the local energy company to be burned for heating.
The president of Saami Parliament, Pekka Aikio gives his answer to the question: Why Finnish state and Inari county are burning down Saami forests.

More information from the director and producer
Hannu Hyvönen hannu[at]elonmerkki.net tel +358408317733

Last yoik in Saami forests - Germain premiere of the documentary in Globians Film Festivals

Home page: http://www.globians.com

The whole program of this higly interesting festival can be read >here.

Presentation in Sodankylä Filmfestivals 17.6.2007

Finnish version Viimeinen joiku Saamenmaan metsissä is shown in Sunday
17.6. in Sodankylä Filmfestivals.
The whole program can be read >here.

Press release from the Saami Council