Behind the instantly recognisable designs, unique shapes, and vibrant colours of Finnish fashion brand Marimekko, is an artist with an equally colourful personality and lifestyle.

Maija Isola created more than five hundred designs for the brand, shaping interior design trends in Finnish homes in the ‘50s and ‘60s and democratising design. Her designs went on to conquer the world and still adorn homes, clothing and public spaces not only in Scandinavian countries but across the globe.

Director Leena Kilpeläinen pulls back the mythological curtain of Marimekko and Maija Isola in her second feature-length documentary. A multi-layered visual narrative combines archival footage and animated sequences with footage from today. Together, these elements create a fascinating journey into a creative life unconstrained by convention – a picture of childhood, and post-war life and growth.

Trailer

Director: Leena Kilpeläinen
Year: 2021
Country: Finland
Duration: 97 minutes

This film has received screenings at:

• Helsinki International Film Festival, Finland 2021
• Dhaka International Film Festival, Bangladesh 2022
• Kumu Art Museum, Estonia 2022
• The International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA), Canada 2022
• Winnipeg Architecture & Design (FF), Canada 2022
• Docs Barcelona, Spain 2022
• Vera Film Festival, Finland 2022
• DocEdge, New Zealand 2022
• AegeanDocs, Greece 2022
• Zagreb Design, Art, Architecture, Croatia 2022
• Riga International Film Festival, Latvia 2022
• Nordische Filmtage Lübeck, Germany 2022

Curated in association with the Revelation Perth International Film Festival

The Fremantle Design Film Festival returns with six films that offer a thought-provoking exploration into the deep connection between design, society and culture.

Featuring documentaries expertly curated by screen practitioner Richard Sowada, the finely calibrated program unites around the Fremantle Design Week theme of transition and captures the people, places and ideas that shape our world through design.

Three films focus on the legacy of Modernism, charting the rise and fall of the most influential design movement of the last century and traversing time across India, the UK and the USA.

The pressing global issues of homelessness and displacement are explored in two deeply personal films, and we meet Maija Isola, the Danish designer behind Marrimekko’s most enduring patterns.

FDW Film Festival presented by: