''The Diver'' () is a 2001 Finnish

short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

directed by

PV Lehtinen PV Lehtinen (born 1969) is a Finland, Finnish film director, screenwriter and producer. He graduated from the University of Art and Design Helsinki as a director. His short film ''The Diver (2000 film), The Diver'' (''Hyppääjä'', 2000) won th ...

. It is an ode to diving and the aesthetics of movement. The film focuses on Helge Wasenius (born 1927), the grand old man of diving, who competed in two Olympic Games and performed clown dives. Lehtinen has said that the protagonist, Helge Wasenius, was his neighbour and childhood hero. When he started planning the film, an image of Wasenius hanging by his feet from the ten-meter diving tower of

Helsinki Swimming Stadium Helsinki Swimming Stadium is an outdoor swimming venue in Helsinki, Finland, located in the Eläintarha area to the northeast of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. History The Swimming Stadium was designed by architect Jorma Järvi in the Functional ...

was embedded in his head. The diving sequences in the film have been compared to

Leni Riefenstahl Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (; 22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, Film producer, producer, screenwriter, Film editing, editor, photographer, and actress. She is considered one of the most controversial ...

. Lehtinen has said he was inspired by

Herb Ritts Herbert Ritts Jr. (August 13, 1952 – December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer and director known for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on b ...

’ photographs of divers more than Riefensthal.

Critical reviews

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' International Film Guide wrote following about the film: "A thoughtful voiceover and a skilful blend of archive and dramatised footage create a meditative mood, emphasised by touches of ambient music, giving the spectator space to reflect on his own emotions".

Awards

The Diver won the Grand Prix and other main prizes at the

Tampere Film Festival The Tampere Film Festival () is a short film festival held every March, mostly at the Finnkino Plevna movie theatre, in Tampere, Finland. It is accredited by the film producers' society FIAPF, and together with the short film festivals in Oberhau ...

2001.

References

External links

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The Diver (Hyppääjä) trailer
2001 short documentary films Finnish short documentary films 2000s Finnish-language films Finnish black-and-white films 2000s Finnish films {{2000s-Finland-film-stub