EXILE

Produced by: Jenni Autio, Tea Latvala, Sampo Lehtinen, Oskari Pastila
Written & directed by: Sampo Lehtinen, Oskari Pastila
Costume design: Jenni Autio, Tea Latvala
Documentary: Oskari Pastila
Sound: Ville Pystynen
Animatiors: Cviteta Miljak, Heidi Gabrielsson
Projection design: Oskari Pastila
Musicians: Marco Luponero, Ville Pystynen

Video of project

Voice cast
Kathryn                   as herself (name changed)
Jeffrey                     Glyn Banks
Boss                         Roxana Sharma
James                      Frank Dobson
Dr. Buchannon        Stewart Gray
Grandmother          Soile Aaltonen
other voices             Rebecca Clamp           
                                 Lauri Kivi-Koskinen

Stage cast
Kathryn            Tea Latvala
Doctor              Sampo Lehtinen
Nurse                Jenni Autio

Exile is an experimental stage performance; a fusion of computer animations, documentary, fictional narrative, music and fashion design.
Exile tells the story of Kathryn, a woman who hears voices and who has built part of her personality
based on them. Contrary to general prejudices she finds these voices helpful, even vital to her existence. How does she cope in the modern society where every alteration from the norm seems intolerable and problematised through social and commercial mechanisms.

The idea of Exile was based on a general view that there is no flawless analogy in our individual perceptions. Contextual structure of the work was build around a documentary recorded in London in March 2006 in association with The Hearing Voices Network. On the soundtrack the fictional narrative intertwines with the documentary (audio) about an actual voice hearer who files an account about her life with voices. The stage act offers visual support to the narrative. Spectators witness the gradual effects a medical attempt to eradicate Kathryns internal voices have on her. While she gradually loses her control over the voices she also surrenders her physical composure and grip on reality.

In the stage act we first only hear parts of the documentary, woman talking about voice hearing.
The projector then starts sending animated patterns onto the stage revealing a mannequin/actress/ performer wearing fifties style, flared raincoat. As the story unfolds through the audio we see seven changes to her dress as layers are pealed off one. The animated patterns are smoothly transforming from one shape and color to another while the actual animation get more and more anxious as the oppression deepens. The animation is simultaneuosly a visual reference to the narrative and to Kathryns inner world. Eventually the actress (Kathryn) is left standing helpless in a straight jacket type of a jumpsuit between the doctor and the nurse. As it begun, the stage act also ends in darkness as the female voice utters the final words of the documentary.

Thanks
Hearing Voices Network • University of Art and Design Helsinki • Medialab • LUME
Dr. Lisa Blackman • Dr. Phil Thomas • Prof. Ian Parker • Jacqui Dillon • Jan Holloway
Soila Lehtinen • Laura Maila • Erika Turunen • Réka Kiraly • Tiina Koivusalo
Henni Romppainen / Andiamo Forum • Heikki Teittinen / Invalidisäätiö Orton
Paula Artkamp • Julia Kessner • Kai Hupka & his team

Associates & Sponsors
Finnish Cultural Foundation • Hearing Voices Network • Media Center LUME
Finland’s Slot Machine Association (RAY) • ProAV Art • Ahlström Corpotation
Finnish Central Association for Mental Health

Jenni Autio (Helsinki, Finland),
designer.

Jenni Autio graduated in shoe design from Hame Polytechnic in 2005. She then enrolled into University of Arts and Design Helsinki where she’s currently studying for her MA. She has gathered experience in the field of product design and marketing with several shoe, accessory and clothing companies. Jenni has also both studied and completed internships in Czech Republic, Spain and USA, to name but a few. Currently Autio is employed by a company called Vision Design.

Tea Latvala (Helsinki, Finland),
fashion design.

Tea Latvala studied fashion design in Lahti University of Applied Arts (BA) and University of Arts and Design Helsinki (MA). During 2000-2007 she worked in fashion sales and marketing for some leading Finnish manufacturing and importing companies, such as Adidas Finland, Annikki Karvinen and Rainmaker. Tea’s interests lie in trend forecasting, futures research and commercial aspects of fashion. Her current emplyers are L-Fashion Group and Crea Television production company.

Sampo Lehtinen (Helsinki, Finland),
an experimental fashion designer.

He studied fashion design in London College of Fashion (BA) and University of Arts and Design Helsinki (MA). During 2002-2005 he worked in several leading fashion studios in Paris and London, including John Galliano, Christian Dior, Impasse de la defense and Katarzyna Szczotarska. He has also worked as an assistant costume designer for stage, notably at Finnish National Opera and Tero Saarinen Company. Since 2005 Lehtinen has created and participated in many multidisciplinary art projects and is currently establishing his own fashion and media brand called Panglosse Couture.

Oskari Pastila (Helsinki, Finland),
media-artist and filmmaker.

Whilst playing with the visual form the content in his work often reflects current social and political issues ranging from globalisation and cultural pressure points to deviation, alienation and the structures that define e.g. normality. He is constantly looking for new forms of expression through collaborations between art disciplines and experiments on moving image. Pastila received his BA from Goldsmiths - University of London, and went on to do his Master's in the Media Lab of University of Art and Design, Helsinki.