One of the most popular films at this year's DocPoint festival was made by a young filmmaker named Oskari Pastila. Not only has it garnered many rave reviews and a lot of press coverage in his native Finland, but it's got its own attendant lawsuit brewing. One of the main subject's fathers is threatening to sue for defamation of character. Pastila just wrote to me and told me it's also destined for a theatrical release very soon.
Quite a head-spinning experience for any artist, let alone one who has only done one other film project and had to prep this one in only two weeks' time--the project came sliding onto his radar very quickly a couple of years ago and he took the opportunity and scored big. No one in Basket Case--Finnish, American, African, or otherwise--comes out looking very good, but that's not the fault of the filmmaker. The subjects do a grand job of acting like jerks all on their own. The film merely documents the universal propensity for the mayhem and bad behavior that accompanies unmitigated greed. One could say it's the anti-Hoop Dreams.
Basket Case is not a story about fair play, team spirit or the inspiration of young men training to become great athletes. In the small town of Porvoon Tarmo, the basketball team's new management decides to renovate the entire team during the summer and fall of 2006. Due to an enticement of a potentially hefty budget (which turns out to be non-existent), they bring twelve non-domestic players to try out for the team, seven of them staying on the roster until the final playoff game of the season. Things devolve quickly and irrevocably as cultures clash, racism runs rampant, egos collide and promises of fancy apartments, cars, and a persistently elusive washing machine, dematerialize. With a sharp eye for off-the-wall vérité and a directorial presence that, obviously, garners great trust, Pastila observes these grown men at their absolute worst. The events of the Korisleague's '06/'07 season have led to a situation in which Finnish basketball finds itself losing whole teams due to having to renegotiate player contracts because of mismanagement. A morality tale, to be sure. This one happens to be Monty-Pythonesque in nature--absurd, tragic and very, very funny. You can watch the trailer and other teasers here.
Post-screening, the director greeted a theater-full of friends, fans and well-wishers and one could tell it was a very proud moment, indeed. I joined Pastila and his friends and other Finnish filmmakers at a celebratory after party at a local club where Shigeki Tamura's band played into the wee hours. Tamura did the groovy, jazzy music score for the film. Kudos also to Jukka Nykänen for sharp and expertly paced editing and lithe and stealthy shooting by Jarno Tahvainen and Janke Öhman.
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