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A caustically humorous sci-fi film dispensed depressing insights into the European soul.

It’s 2069. All of Europe is occupied by the European Union. Local traditions and customs have been abolished; EU troops rule the continent. In this state of apparent homogeneity, there’s only one people resisting the overlords’ power: the Finns. This truly peculiar nation lives in a shipping container, a micro-universe that holds all a genuine Finn needs—ranging from karaoke equipment to a sauna. The discovery of this clandestine colony by EU troops sets off a interdisciplinary journey to the heart of Europe’s cultural misunderstandings and the differences and similarities among its peoples.

Kristian Smeds is one of Finland’s top directors and one of Europe’s great writers for the theater. In 2008, he became the first Scandinavian director nominated a second time for the European Theatre Prize. The point of departure for this “black comedy about righteous hatred” is the critical attitude towards the EU that is especially common among smaller member states. Smeds’ aim was to draw attention to the fears, hopes and complexities of modern Europeans, to build bridges and launch artistic networking.


WHAT // Theater
WHEN // October 29 & 30, 2009
WHERE // Hafenhalle09

CONCEPT / TEXT / DIRECTION // Kristian Smeds (FI)
STAGE SET / COSTUMES // Juraté Paulekaité (LT), Kristian Smeds
CHOREOGRAPHY // Ari Numminen (FI)
VIDEO DESIGN // Ville Hyvönen (FI)
DRAMATURGY // Ivo Kuyl (BE)
SOUND DESIGN // David Simeon Lipp & Thomas Binder-Reisinger