Aki Kaurismäki Praises Finnish Oscar Submission ‘The Squirrel’

Markus Lehmusruusu’s futuristic drama “The Squirrel” has just been selected as the Finnish Oscar submission, and it already has a notable fan.

“Aki Kaurismäki called it a masterpiece. He said it was like ‘2001: A Space Odyssey,’ but better because it’s full of humanism. I really loved that,” the director tells Variety.

“I hope that it can work on two levels. It’s full of humanism, but it also shows that as humans, we shouldn’t always put ourselves first.”

His protagonist, Pasi, needs to understand that as well. In the sterile future, nature and animals no longer exist. At least, that’s how it seems until Pasi, who designs artificial pets, suddenly encounters an actual squirrel – maybe the last one in the world. He brings it home, but it’s not happy there. It belongs in the wild.

“The Squirrel” stars Miro Lopperi (“Codename: Annika”), Mimosa Willamo (“Sisu”) and Hannu-Pekka Björkman (upcoming “Red Snow”). Recently shown at Fantastic Fest, the film is sold by REinvent International Sales and produced by Bufo, Pallas Film, Volya Films and Zentropa Sweden.

Being selected as an Oscar submission has been “rewarding,” says Lehmusruusu.

“It’s a big risk to make a film like that, which doesn’t fit within one genre.”

In recent years, Finland has selected several films that don’t fit the typical Oscar mold, from “Euthanizer” to “Family Time” and boozy comedy “100 Liters of Gold.” It has only earned one nomination in the category, for Aki Kaurismäki’s “The Man Without a Past.”

“It’s about telling stories that come from the heart without overthinking where they ‘fit’,” notes Lehmusruusu.

“Now, I’m working on projects that feel almost naturalistic, but I’ve always been interested in films that depict someone’s inner world. Cinema can convey that so easily. It’s like a magic trick.”

For his characters, the situation is clear: animalistic urges are bad. But as the story progresses, they want to give in to them.

“Thanks to technology, we sometimes feel omnipotent. But wouldn’t something be missing if replaced nature with something that doesn’t have its downsides?,” wonders Lehmusruusu.

“This also led to sexuality being a big part of the film because we keep hearing about people not having sex anymore. Young people just aren’t interested, partly because they’re repulsed by bodily fluids. Sexuality is perhaps the most primal force we have left, and we are becoming detached from it.”

Luckily, it only takes one squirrel to open his characters’ eyes and encourage them to venture outside of their comfort zones. Even though they’re so used to controlling their bodies and their surroundings.

The film’s naughty, not-quite-PG side is perfectly exemplified by its titular hero.

“A squirrel is cute, but it’s also a rodent. They destroy things in people’s houses and attack small birds. I wanted to show how we project onto animals. We think we know their emotions. At one point, we wondered if our squirrel should have expressions, but then I went: ‘I don’t want it to do anything it doesn’t actually do.’ It’s one of those animals we take for granted. And when you take something for granted, it’s so painful when it’s gone.”

Instead of choosing obvious villains, Lehmusruusu talks about “the consequences of indifference” in the film.

“I wanted to show people who have good intentions, but they have gone too far. We like to think we’re protecting our families or societies, but what are we willing to sacrifice? It could be nature or another form of life,” he says.

“My idea was to go against this dystopian science fiction where evil is always lurking. In a way, it feels even darker to say that people aren’t bad; they are just making bad choices. As a species, we’re responsible for a lot of shit.”

However, sometimes we are able to clean it up.

“If you look at the bigger picture, the horror of it all slowly sneaks up on you. But I wanted this film to work also if you’re not willing to do that. I want people to find it entertaining, funny and joyful.”