Productions > Rai Rai!

Rai Rai!

Documentary on the band Kotiteollisuus

Rai Rai! is a follow-up documentary film on the band Kotiteollisuus from Lappeenranta during the years 2004-2005.

After years of hard work with gigs and releasing seven albums, Kotiteollisuus has become a famous rock band. Success has not come by itself, but it has required lots of hard work and both believing in oneself and laughing at oneself. Self-ironical and at the same time shy attitude towards being a rock star has contributed to the solid success, and the lack of arrogant star-attitude creates a strong connection between the band and the audience. The atmosphere, the feeling of passion, at the gigs can equally arise at dance pavilions in Kauhajoki in rainy October and at the crowded Tavastia-club in Helsinki.

The documentary follows the everyday life of Kotiteollisuus during a little over year. Touring with the band at gigs around Finland reveal the relationship between the band and the audience, as well as the attitude of band members towards work. The band is on tour, driving along the roads, doing gigs in suburb pubs, at dance pavilions, and in nightclubs. We will meet normal Finnish people at these gigs, celebrating and participating in the shared feeling and devotion.

Devotedly, the audience sings along with the songs and takes part in the gentle mockery by Hynynen. The documentary demonstrates the two-sided relationship of band members to both publicity and the musicians themselves. In the documentary, the guitarist and vocalist Jouni Hynynen reflects the role of being a rock star and the influence of it on his personal life. Every now and then, the members of the band are not even themselves aware of this role; whether it is Jouni or the comic book figure Hynynen who is talking.

The documentary describes the relationship with childhood friends Hynynen, Hongisto and Sinkkonen, expressed in attention, small gestures and strong solidarity - the masculine love. Kotiteollisuus is not just a three-membered band, but a noisy body, like a huge sound machine, developed with time.

Being realised in the form of a follow-up document starring by the community of Kotiteollisuus, the documentary maintains the Eastern Finland mentality. The documentary travels along in the Finnish summer, wondering about the culture of dance pavilions, backstages, heavy metal people celebrating the midsummer, roadsides, grilling, Russian tourism, and feeling of Finnish rock'n'roll, of course. In addition to following the band on tour, the documentary also presents older material from recent years.

© rajaproduction 2005

Rai Rai! production

Script, directing, filming:
Sami Parkkinen
Jaakko Kilpiäinen

Editing:
Jyrki Pitkä
Sami Parkkinen
Jaakko Kilpiäinen

Recording:
Tuomas Leinonen
Juho Peltoniemi
Jevgeni Zakharov
Timo Virtanen

Post-production of sound:
Jone Väänänen

Animation:
Jussi Santaniemi

In cooperation:
EFFC Joensuu
Mecca project
ESEK / Tommi Kyyrä
Joensuun Pop-muusikot ry.
Kotiteollisuus oy

Production:
Raja Production 2005
Niskakatu 2
80100 Joensuu
050-5438497 Jaakko Kilpiäinen

DVCAM
16:9
stereo
58 min.

© rajaproduction 2005