Peter von Bagh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter von Bagh
Born	(1943-08-29)29 August 1943 Helsinki, Finland
Died	17 September 2014(2014-09-17) (aged 71)
Occupation	film historian, director

Peter von Bagh (born August 29, 1943 – died September 17, 2014) was a famous Finnish film expert and director. He loved movies and spent his life studying them and making his own. Peter von Bagh was in charge of the Finnish Film Archive, which keeps old films safe.

He was also the main editor of Filmihullu magazine. Plus, he helped start and lead the Midnight Sun Film Festival, a cool movie event in Finland. Since 2001, he was the artistic director for the Il Cinema Ritrovato film festival in Bologna, Italy. Peter von Bagh was even a judge at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, one of the biggest film events in the world.

His films were shown at important international festivals. For example, his works were featured at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2012. They were also shown at the Tromsø International Film Festival in 2013.

Peter von Bagh wrote about 40 non-fiction books, mostly about movies. He also made around 60 films for cinemas and television. Some of his well-known films include Helsinki, Forever (2008) and Sodankylä, Forever (2010–2011). The Sodankylä, Forever series was about the first 25 years of the Midnight Sun Film Festival. He passed away in 2014 when he was 71 years old.

Peter von Bagh's Education

Peter von Bagh's father was a psychiatrist with German-Russian roots. Peter finished high school at Oulun Lyseon Lukio in 1961. He then went to the University of Helsinki. In 1970, he earned his Master of Arts degree. He studied subjects like philosophy, sociology, and literature.

Later, in 2002, Peter von Bagh earned his Doctor of Social Sciences degree. His doctoral paper looked at how movies use editing and collage to tell stories. He taught film history at Aalto University starting in 2001. He also wrote a textbook about cinema called Salainen muisti for schools.

His Films and Books

A main idea in Peter von Bagh's work was showing the everyday life of Finns. He used images of small details to show what life was like in Finland. His films like Vuosi 1952 (1980) and Helsinki, Forever (2008) let viewers peek into history. They focused on specific times, places, or even artistic families.

The famous filmmaker Chris Marker praised von Bagh's film Helsinki, Forever. He wrote that the movie had a strong start and an amazing ending. Marker admired how von Bagh played with time in his editing. He felt the film was surprising yet natural. He also highlighted the perfect music choice that added to the film's emotion.

Peter von Bagh made many films for television. These often featured famous Finnish people from different areas. He made films about musicians like Olavi Virta (1972) and actors like Tauno Palo (1981). He also created portraits of film directors.

Some of his fiction films were like documentaries. For example, The Count (1971) was about a real-life con man. Pockpicket (1968) was inspired by another film called Pickpocket. In this movie, a young man tries to make his life more exciting by secretly putting money into people's wallets. Peter von Bagh also helped write scripts for films like Time of Roses (1969).

His Books and Awards

Peter von Bagh wrote nearly 40 non-fiction books. In 2007, he received a special award from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. This award was for his lifetime achievements in public information. That same year, his book Song of Finland won The Finlandia Literary Prize for Non-Fiction.

He received the State Award for Public Information twice before. Once in 1986 for Iskelmän kultainen kirja (co-written with Ilpo Hakasalo). And again in 1975 for Elokuvan historia (History of Cinema). In 1992, he received the SKS Elias Lönnroth Award for Suomalaisen elokuvan kultainen kirja.

His essays and articles were published in many film books and magazines. These included well-known magazines in France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Until his death, Peter von Bagh was the main editor of Filmihullu, the magazine he started in 1968. He also worked as a film expert for publishing houses in France and Italy.

Helping Publish Books

Peter von Bagh also helped promote literature in Finland. He worked as an editor for the Love kirjat publishing company from 1977 to 1996. Love kirjat published over a hundred books. These included translations of classic world literature. They published works from ancient Greek writers like Aiskhylos to modern authors like Jack London.

Love kirjat also brought important film books to Finnish readers. For example, they published essays by André Bazin and books by famous directors like Sergei Eisenstein and Federico Fellini. Peter von Bagh even wrote a preface for Jean Renoir's book My Life and My Films.

Leading Film Festivals

The Midnight Sun Film Festival started in 1986. Peter von Bagh helped create this festival along with the Kaurismäki brothers, Mika and Aki Kaurismäki. This festival is special because of the magical light of the North. It focuses on showing great films, not on glitzy awards. They show both classic movies and new works from all over the world. Silent films are even shown with live music.

Peter von Bagh hosted unique morning discussions at the festival for many years. He talked with hundreds of guest filmmakers. He used the best parts of these discussions for his book Sodankylä, Forever. He also made a four-part documentary series with the same name. This series has been highly praised around the world.

Many famous filmmakers from different countries visited the Midnight Sun Film Festival. These included Chris Marker from France, Jafar Panahi from Iran, and István Szabó from Hungary. American directors like Samuel Fuller and Jim Jarmusch also attended.

Since 2001, Peter von Bagh was the Artistic Director of the Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna, Italy. This festival focuses on "recovered" film treasures. These are films that were thought to be lost or unknown. They also show silent films and restored old movies. A huge screen is set up in Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, attracting thousands of viewers.

Von Bagh also worked as an artistic expert for other film festivals. He was a visiting artistic director for the Telluride Film Festival in 1997. He was also a jury member for the Cannes Film Festival in 2004.

Work with Film Archives

Peter von Bagh was the executive director of the Finnish Film Archive from 1966 to 1969. He then worked as a program planner until 1984. During his time there, the Archive became very well-known for its film programs. The number of film screenings also grew a lot.

Works

Films

Early Short Films

• Pockpicket – Recollections of a Helsinki Bourgeois Youth (with Pentti Maisala, 1968)
• Vanhan valtaus (Bagh–Toiviainen–Maisala–Katainen, 1968)
• December (1969)

Feature Films

• The Count ("Kreivi") (1971)

Feature-Length Documentaries for Theaters

• Viimeinen kesä 1944 (1992)
• Vuosi 1939 (1993)

TV Productions

• Olavi Virta (1972)
• Paavo Nurmi – The Man and His Times (with Markku Koski, 1978)
• Sinitaivas – matka muistojen maisemaan (1978)
• Fragments of the life of Reino Helismaa (1979)
• Tankavaaran Travolta (1979)
• Vuosi 1952 (1980)
• Tapsa – Slashes from a Rover's Life (1980)
• Laulajan lähtö (1980)
• Tauno Palo (1981)
• Väliasemalla Veikko Lavi (1982)
• A Day at the Grave of Karl Marx (1983)
• Suomi Pop 1–5 – suomalaisen iskelmän historia (1984–1985)
• Lähikuvassa 1–19: Tuomari Nurmio, Remu Aaltonen, Pelle Miljoona, Juice Leskinen, Hassisen Kone, Eppu Normaali, Dave "Isokynä" Lindholm, Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki, Kipparikvartetti, Erkki Junkkarinen, Jorma Ikävalko, Matti Jurva, Harmony Sisters, Esa Pakarinen, Palle, Henry Theel, Vili Vesterinen, Eugen Malmstén ja Big Band, Metro-Tytöt (1983–1992)
• Yhdeksän hetkeä Urho Kekkosen elämästä (1985)
• Elämä ja aurinko – rapsodia F.E. Sillanpään maisemasta (1985)
• Isoveli (1985)
• Ajan draama (1986)
• Muisto (1987)
• Faaraoiden maa (1987)
• Asema (1987)
• Tämä on Suomi (1987)
• Olavi Virta (1987)
• Jukeboxin ikivihreät (1988)
• Henkilökohtainen ongelma (1988)
• SF:n tarina 1–6 (1990–1991)
• T.J. Särkkä 100 vuotta (1990)
• Kohtaaminen (1992)
• Suomi-Filmin tarina 1–5 (1993)
• Fennadan tarina 1–3 (1993)
• Mies varjossa 1–3 (& Elina Katainen & Iikka Vehkalahti, 1994)
• Erään oopperan synty: Lapualaisooppera (1996)
• Oi kallis Suomenmaa 1–8 (1997) (16-osainen versio: 1999)
• Victor Eríce: unelma valosta (1997)
• Irma Seikkula – kulta-ajan tähti (1998)
• Sininen laulu – Suomen taiteiden tarina 1–12 (2003–2004)
• Kansalainen Puupää (Armand Lohikosken muotokuva) (2004)
• Edvin Laine (2006)
• Helsinki, Forever (2008)
• Tähtien tarina 1–6: Hannes Häyrinen, Ville Salminen, Hannu Leminen, Eeva-Kaarina Volanen, Leif Wager, Tarmo Manni (2008)
• Ohjaaja matkalla ihmiseksi: Mikko Niskasen tarina 1–3 (2010)
• Sodankylä, Forever 1–4: Elokuvan vuosisata, Ensimmäisen elokuvamuiston kaiho, Ikuinen aika, Valon draama (2010–2011)
• Splinters – A Century of an Artistic Family (2011)
• The Finns and Money: A Love Story (2011)

Awards and Recognitions

• 2013 Kultainen Venla Award for a Lifetime Achievement in TV work
• 2007 State Award for Public Information for a Lifetime Achievement
• 2007 The Finlandia Literary Prize for Non-Fiction for the book Sininen laulu (The Song of Finland)
• 2005 The DocPoint Documentary Festival Aho & Soldan Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2005 The Koura Award for the best TV programme of the year for Sininen laulu (The Song of Finland)
• 1992 The Finnish Literature Society SKS Elias Lönnroth Award for Suomalaisen elokuvan kultainen kirja
• 1992 The Concrete Jussi (Betoni-Jussi) Lifetime Award
• 1991 Venla Award for the TV series SF:n tarina I-VI
• 1986 State Award for Public Information for the book Iskelmän kultainen kirja (with co-author Ilpo Hakasalo)
• 1984 Venla Award for Suomi Pop – suomalaisen iskelmän historia
• 1980 State Film Award for Vuosi 1952
• 1978 Annual Theatre Award of the Theatre Centre (Vuoden teatteriteko) for the book Teatterikirja (co-editor Pekka Milonoff)
• 1975 State Award for Public Information for the book Elokuvan historia (History of Cinema)

Grants

• Arts Promotion Centre Finland Artist Grant for fifteen years (1984–1999)
• The Finnish Cultural Foundation (Suomen Kulttuurirahasto) Grant for Eminent Work (2011)

Education Degrees

• Undergraduate: Oulun Lyseo Upper Secondary School, 1961
• Bachelor of Arts: University of Helsinki, 1970
• Doctor of Social Sciences: University of Helsinki, 2002