Antti J. Jokinen Talks ‘Kalevala: The Story of Kullervo’

“Kalevala,” a compilation of epic poetry drawn from Karelian and Finnish folklore and mythology, is full of violence, but director Antti J. Jokinen – who has adapted the book for his film “Kalevala: The Story of Kullervo,” set in the 1100s and centering on the tragic hero Kullervo – has “no interest” in that.

“It won’t be a super violent film. We have fight sequences, the swords are heavy and the actors have been training for a year now. But it’s more interesting to show the impact violence has on people,” he tells Variety.

Jokinen has already dealt with a similar dilemma in “Purge,” taking on human trafficking and sexual cruelty. “I cut out a lot of [the violence] from the original book but its writer Sofi [Oksanen] was adamant: ‘Don’t clean it up too much.’ The violence towards women needed to be shown. This time, I had more freedom, because everyone can interpret ‘Kalevala’ any way they want. These characters are not one-dimensional: these are men who feel. They are not just raping and pillaging.”

Currently shooting – “We started in Lapland and moved to North Karelia” – Jokinen is focusing on Kullervo, who also inspired J.R.R. Tolkien. The “Lord of the Rings” author wrote about him in “The Story of Kullervo.”

“This character is very Shakespearian and his story is like a Greek tragedy. I think the audience is ready for that, because what’s the relationship you have with your parents, biological or adopted? Even if there is a big lie beneath it all, would you opt for revenge?,” he wonders, admitting he won’t change his misadventures “too much.”

“I can’t. It’s the epic of Finland! It’s said that our whole identity comes from it.”

A co-production between Jokinen’s Storm Inc. and Marko Röhr and Johanna Enäsuo’s ReelMedia, the film will be distributed in the Nordics by SF Studios, while REinvent handles sales. It will also mark…