47th Nordic Film Days Luebeck
(Nov.3-6, 2005)

On the occasion of the 47th Nordic Film Days  the INTERFILM Jury awards the Church Film Prize amounting to 2,500 EUR to:

Koti-ikävä / Homesick / Homesick
by Petri Kotwica, Finland 2005

for the following reason:

Through its impressive aesthetics and dramaturgy Petri Kotwica’s debut feature film succeeds in portraying more than just an individual fate and momentary image of society. Homesick is a plea full of hope for a humane society that looks after of those who are often overlooked: the young people.

Synopsis: Following a suicide attempt, 17-year-old Sami has been placed in a young people’s psychiatric home. His arm in a sling, his face hidden by his long hair, he refuses to speak about what has happened. For the most part, Sami is a quiet lad, but occasionally he has outbursts so extreme that the staff tie him to his bed. However, one carer, Taneli, gradually manages to get him to open up. Sami’s parents are divorced, his father lives in Sweden. His somewhat neurotic and over-protective mother wants Sami to come back to her. But to everyone’s surprise, Sami would rather stay in the psychiatric home – until he finally reveals the secret reason for his act of desperation. With virtuoso camerawork, director Petri Kotwica sketches the portrait of a young man who can find no stability within the family. In faded colours and with a soundtrack of Finnish hip-hop and hard rock, “Homesick” is not only a moving portrait of a troubled youth but also an audio-visual feast.

The Jury consisted of:
Dr. Julia Helmke, Pastor, House of Ecclesiastical Services, Hanover, and lecturer at the University of Erlangen, Germany
Prof. Dr. Angelika Henschel, Lecturer in social sciences at the University of Lüneburg, Germany
Jaan J. Leppik, Deacon of the Orthodox Church of Estonia and journalist, Estonia
Juha Rajamäki, Head of TV department, Communications Centre of the Lutheran Church of Finland, Finland