The Punk Syndrome is a film about Finland’s most kick-ass punk rock band, Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät. The band members, Pertti, Kari, Toni and Sami, have intellectual disabilities and they play their music with a lot of attitude and pride.
We follow these professional musicians on their journey from obscurity to popularity. We watch them fight, fall in love and experience strong emotions. We witness long days in the recording studio and on tour. They laugh, cry, drink and fight over who gets to sit in the front on the tour bus. Then it’s time to make up and go talk to people in the audience and tell them how great their band is.
Their songs are about the problems in society as well as about things that they face in their everyday life: how going to the pedicurist sucks and the misery of living in a group home. The guys give piece of their mind to both politicians and people whose attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities need improvement.
The Punk Syndrome is a film about the essence of punk. It’s a story of handicapped people rebelling against the mainstream. This time you’re allowed to stare and wonder why they act the way they do. And you’ll fall in love with them as you watch how the most kick-ass punk band in Finland conquers the world.
- SXGLOBAL Audience Award, South by Southwest, Texas, USA, 2013
- Winner of the Prix Europa Best TV Documentary, Prix Europa, Berlin, Germany, 2013
- Winner of the Citizens' Prize, Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, Tokyo, Japan, 2013
- Audience Award, One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Prague, Czech Republic, 2013
- Winner of Best Documentary Film and Best Editing, Jussi Awards, Helsinki, Finland, 2013
- Best Feature Length Documentary, Breaking Down Barriers – Disability Film Festival, Moscow, Russia, 2012
- Special Prize in Documentary Section, 2morrow Film Festival, Moscow, Russia, 2012
- Winner of the main prize in “Films on Art” Competition Programme, New Horizons, Wrocław, Poland, 2012
- Winner of the Special Jury Prize for the Most Innovative Feature Film, Visions du Réel Festival, Nyon, Switzerland, 2012
- Audience Award, Finnish Premiere at Tampere Film Festival, 2012
Credits
Script: | Jukka Kärkkäinen, J-P Passi, Sami Jahnukainen |
Directors: | Jukka Kärkkäinen, J-P Passi |
Cinematography: | J-P Passi |
Editing: | Riitta Poikselkä |
Sound Recording: | Antti Haikonen, Jukka Kärkkäinen |
Dramaturgy: | Magnus Gertten |
Sound Design: | Jørgen Bergsund |
Sound Mix: | Tormod Rignes |
Colour Grading: | Roberto Duarte |
Graphic Design: | Illusia Sarvas |
Music: | Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät |
Additional Cinematography: | Marianne Heikkinen |
Additional Sound Recording: | Peitu Korhonen, Kimmo Vänttinen |
Stills Photography: | Pekka Elomaa, Kalle Pajamaa |
Production Manager: | Katri Myllyniemi |
Location Manager: | Ville Toivanen |
Editing Consultant: | Mika Ronkainen |
Assistant Editing: | Illusia Sarvas |
Additional Graphic Design: | Laura Kiralfy |
Translation: | Aretta Vähälä, Rich Lyons, Kari Savonen, Apropos lingua, Tatu Henttonen |
Producer: | Sami Jahnukainen / Mouka Filmi |
Co-Producers: | Carsten Aanonsen / Indie Film, Magnus Gertten, Lennart Ström / Auto Images, Joakim Strand / Film i Skåne |
Production Support: | SES, Avek, ESEK, Luses, NFI, SFI |
Broadcasters: | Yle, SVT, NRK |
Distribution in Finland: | Buena Vista International Finland |
International sales: | Autlook Filmasales |