Other Girls

Toiset tytöt

Other Girls

Esa Illi

FI
2015
Feature Film
90’
Film Education

18-year-old Jessica is going through the trials and tribulations of being in love for the first time. For the lucky young guy she followed all the way to Sweden however, she was just an adventurous episode. Unlike her punk friend Aino: bullied since childhood due to her rather chubby stature, she’s buried herself in a hive of activity, creating a kind of wall to stave off all feelings of loneliness. Smart Marco, an outsider at school, tries all he knows to break through Jessica’s wall. Taru, the creative one of the four girlfriends, lives like there is no tomorrow. When she unintentionally gets pregnant, her excessive and destructive lifestyle reaches a crossroad. And Jenny, the calmest of the group, falls desperately in love with her best friend.

Other Girls depicts the growing pains of four girls on the threshold of adulthood in an emotional and authentic style not without surprises. The film’s script is based on the video diaries of four Finnish girls, and Illi’s fresh and colourful film brings the experiences described to life. The director uses animation sequences that jump out of the heads of the protagonists to depict the overarching theme of the film – the moments when life deals out some real kicks. The realistic coming-of-age story is nominated for the Jussi Awards, the Finnish equivalent of the Oscars.


Awards for ›Toiset Tytöt‹
Kinder- und Jugendfilmpreis – Nordische Filmtage Lübeck 2015 | Nominierung Best Film und Best Acress – Jussi Awards 2016

Director / Script

Esa Illi

Cinematography

Henri Blomberg

Editing

Samu Heikkilä

Sound

Pietari Koskinen

Music

Janne Storm

Cast

Sara Soulié, Ida Vakkuri, Bahar Tokat, Misa Lommi

Production

Fisher King Production OY

Contact

EastWest Filmdistribution

Esa Illi

Born 1962, Illi graduated from the University of Art and Design Helsinki in 1994, working in the Finnish film industry ever since. He wrote most of the screenplays for his feature films, documentaries and TV films himself. He’s also behind numerous episodes of Finland’s highly successful TV series Uusi päivä and teaches acting, directing and screenplay writing at the University of Tampere.


Films by Esa Illi (Selection)
Jungle of Dreams 2008 | Siilijuttu 2006 | Broidit 2003 | Apinajuttu 2000 | Juhannustarinoita 1997 | Kati 1994