Riikka Tanner

In early 1970s, the graphic designer Tuulikki Pietilä had seen enough of stative visual art and purchased a film camera from Japan. She filmed the games and chores of the artist couple in their beloved hideout, the island of Klovharun.

Tove and Tooti in Europe is a documentary charting the voyages through Europe of the world famous author Tove Jansson and graphic artist Tuulikki Pietilä during the years 1972-1993. It is a lyrical and sometimes hilarious film essay on the “old Europe”, experienced by travellers and observers, of times when people used to wander, share a joke, pause and, sometimes, even stop. Shot on Super 8 mm, the film takes us to Paris, Venice, London, Madrid and Dublin; Iceland, Ireland and Corsica.

The film delves into the experiences of Finnish youth activists from the 1970s who were part of Marxist-Leninist organizations, often referred to as “taistolaiset.” It reflects on their ideological fervor, the disillusionment that followed, and the personal transformations they underwent as they matured.