Nordisk Panorama 2024: How to Please (by Elina Talvensaari) | Review
Elina Talvensaari critiques the absurdity and dehumanization of the migration process in Finland through a conceptual and compelling short film.
When Wed Al-Asadi fled the raging civil war in his homeland of Iraq to seek refuge in Finland, he could never have imagined that obtaining the right to reside in Europe would be so lengthy and arduous. Since Iraq is not officially at war, his asylum requests were initially denied. To survive and try to gain acceptance in his new country, Wed Al-Asadi quickly sought local employment and resumed his studies to have his qualifications recognized by the authorities. However, his applications for work and study permits were viewed as deceptive attempts to avoid deportation and were consequently denied. Legally, Wed Al-Asadi is unable to work, study, or move to another European country to seek asylum, as per European immigration law. He is condemned to remain in this “no man’s land” of asylum seekers, confined to reception camps and invisible to society.
In How to Please, director Elina Talvensaari skillfully portrays the absurdity of this situation, highlighting the complexity and bias of the asylum process in her country. The documentary short premiered at IDFA 2023 before landing at Nordisk Panorama 2024. In the meantime, How to Please swept three awards at Tampere Film Festival 2024 and won Short Film of the Year Award at the Finnish Film Awards.
Talvensaari employs a clever technique to depict the absurdity of Wed Al-Asadi’s experiences on screen. She alternates between direct-to-camera testimonials from the main protagonist and fictional scenes that visually represent Wed Al-Asadi’s uncertain and complex journey to obtain a residence permit in Finland. In a top shot, we see him navigating between four small square rooms representing the police station, the restaurant kitchen where he works, and his lawyer’s office. Surrounding him is complete darkness—nothingness, with no possible escape. Finnish administrative decisions are announced by an emotionless robotic voice, illustrating that Wed Al-Asadi is just another case, undeserving of empathy.
In How to Please, Elina Talvensaari adeptly criticizes the rigidity of Finnish bureaucracy and, more broadly, her country’s reluctance to welcome foreigners. The film presented at Nordisk Panorama ends with an epilogue in which Wed Al-Asadi announces to the director that, after years of failure, he has finally obtained a residence permit by having his professional experience recognized, expressing his deep emotion. Could this signify the beginning of a shift in the country’s stance on immigration?
How to Please is an official selection of Malmö-based Nordisk Panorama, whose 35th edition is running on September 19-24, 2024.
