Pirjo Honkasalo

Pirjo HONKASALO (1947, Helsinki) studied cinematography at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki (TAIK) and has a Master’s in Film Studies from Temple University in Pennsylvania. Her first important work, the historical drama Flame Top, was shown in Cannes in 1980. As a documentary director, Honkasalo is famous for The Trilogy of the Sacred and the Satanic, of which the last part, Atman, won the Joris Ivens Prize at the IDFA in 1996. Her film The 3 Rooms of Melancholia (2004) won numerous awards. Concrete Night (2013) gathered six Jussi Awards in 2014, among them Best Direction and Best Film. Its world premiere was at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Masters series.

Filmography

Ennen kuolemaa (1967, short), The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth (1968, short), Horros (1969, short), Muuttolinnun laulu (1975, short doc), Ikäluokka/Their Age (1976, short doc), Vaaran Merkki/The Sign of Danger (1978, doc), Kainuu 39/Two Forces (1979), Tulipää/Flame Top (1980), 250 Gramma/250 Grams, A Radioactive Testament (1983), Da capo (1985), Leonardon ikkunat/Leonardo’s Windows (1986, TV), Mysterion-Part I: The Trilogy of the Sacred and the Satanic (1991, doc episode), Tanjuska ja 7 perkelettä-Part II: The Trilogy of the Sacred and the Satanic/Tanjuska and The 7 Devils (1993, doc episode), Atman-Part III: The Trilogy of The Sacred and the Satanic/Atman (1996, doc episode), Tallinnan Tuhkimo (1996, doc), Tulennielijä/Fire-Eater (1998), Melancholian kolme huonetta/The 3 Rooms of Melancholia (2004, doc), Seitti – kilvoittelijan päiväkirja (2009, doc), Betoniyö/Concrete Night (2013), Orenda (2024)