Director

Maria Kaurismäki

Maria Kaurismäki is daughter of Finnish director-producer Mika Kaurismäki and Sideline is her graduation work from Tampere University of applied sciences. Her previous works includes:

On helppoo olla nuori, 2006, writed and directed by: Maria Kaurismäki & Hanna Hurri

In the limelight: Kristiina Brask, 2007, directed by: Maria Kaurismäki

Directors word

There has been a lot of discussion in the Finnish media about female students who become prostitutes.

In august 2005 I read a long article from a newspaper, where two young female-students told their experiences about working as prostitutes along their studies. They had started their careers as prostitutes to get more money to survive in everyday life, because the student-money from the government doesn’t even cover the rent in the near areas of Finland's capital city, Helsinki.

I wanted to write a film about this topic, because this article that I read touched me very deeply. I am a young female-student as well, so it was easy to relate to the women in the article.

The story of Sideline movie is also about criticism. Nowadays depression is diagnosed more and more easily among young people, but there is no will enough to search for the reasons. I don’t motivate my main-characters actions only by showing her as a depressed woman. She wants to become recognized, she wants to be accepted. These characteristics drive her to try prostitution, which leave marks for the rest of her life.

- Maria Kaurismäki