Who is Finnish (2013)
By Kristina Junttila
World premiere in May 2013, Vårscenefest Tromsø
Cast
Concept and direction: Kristina Junttila
On stage: Bernt Bjørn, Olavi Junttila, Jussi Salminen
Linguist: Kristine Bentzen
Actors' instruction: Kristin Bjørn
Scenography consultant: Ingvill Fossheim
Supported by
Language Year 2013, Dramatikkens Hus, Troms County Municipality and Arran
Who is Finnish is a performance in three parts about language fixation, about the uncontrollable nature of being multilingual and whether Kristina Junttila is Finnish or Norwegian.
The first part
is a short dramatic work based on interviews with Kvens and Finnish immigrants in Northern Norway. Two Finnish and one Norwegian actor challenge us with Finnish long pauses and Norwegian nodding.
In the second part
A linguist gives us professional knowledge about multilingualism. How many seconds is it customary to wait before responding to another person in Finland?
In the third part
we get to know Kristina Junttila's autobiography. She moves seemingly effortlessly between Finnish and Norwegian and has always heard that multilingual people understand the world better and become senile later. At the same time, language is as personal as the body, and the times she fails to speak pure Norwegian or true Finnish feel like a defeat.
Join us and vote on whether Kristina is Finnish or Norwegian!
The concept was developed in collaboration with Ferske Scener.
