Modern film lovers know that “I really needed this” is a category in and of itself. While any film could, in theory, fall into this box, there’s something about slices of contemporary life—young people with big stuff going on, whose serious issues are properly recognized and lightly held, peppered with an of-the-moment soundtrack—that seem to meet many of us exactly where we are, right when we need them. 

Girl Picture is such a film. “I really needed this,” Marianist confirms, while Aliyah draws a direct line to Booksmart, noting that both films are now part of “the lesbian ‘Slip Away’ by Perfume Genius needle drop cinematic universe.” Girl Picture also has an advocate in Lyd, who writes: “Why yes, I will champion this touching portrait of healthy female friendship and sex positivity. Consider that very much up my alley.” 

Set across three tumultuous Fridays, Girl Picture follows the sexual and romantic quests of three young women: best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö, and Emma, a determined ice-skater who is starting to feel the pull away from her life of discipline—and towards Mimmi. The film is written by Daniela Hakulinen and Ilona Ahti and directed with compassionate insight by Alli Haapasalo, whose previous features include her contributions to the all-women director anthology films Force of Habit and One-Off Incident, as well as her 2016 theatrical debut Love and Fury.

The original Finnish title of Girl Picture is Tytöt Tytöt Tytöt (“Girls Girls Girls”), which is perhaps a better indication of what’s in store in the film and also a hallmark of contemporary Finnish cinema, with films focusing on women characters, made by women filmmakers. (It’s also worth noting that ‘tytöt’ is a derogatory phrase used for young Finnish women, which Haapasalo is reclaiming with deliberate celebration—Mimmi, Rönkkö and Emma readily praise and compliment each other as goddesses and more.) 

Is there a film that made you want to become a filmmaker?
It wasn’t one film but a whole childhood and youth of films. I watched everything from black-and-white Finnish melodramas from the ’40s to contemporary American drama. I loved Hollywood classics and rewatched Westerns countless times, as well as the American cinema of the ’70s.

I learned a lot of life’s big lessons from European arthouse films—one of my earliest film memories is the double date movie theater scene in François Truffaut’s Small Change. In high school, I was always at the movies or watching through the video-store collection from Quentin Tarantino to Krzysztof Kieślowski. Films were my opening to new worlds and they explained the human experience to me. Essentially, I wanted to do the same.

What are the Finnish movies we need to see to learn more about your home?
In addition to the quintessential Aki Kaurismäki, I’d focus on contemporary Finnish films. Take a look at Selma Vilhunen’s Stupid Young Heart, Miia Tervo’s Aurora and Jenni Toivoniemi’s Games People Play. Each of them paints a fresh, contemporary picture of Finnish people and Finnish filmmaking.

What are your favorite films that center female friendship?
Jenny Gage’s documentary All This Panic is such a beautiful depiction of female friendship, growing up and searching for yourself. I love the very specific intimacy of adolescent girls—this wonderful physical ease they have. Be it leaning on each other or braiding each other’s hair, there is something so loving and loyal about that bond. The friendships in the film are complex because the characters are going through complex stuff. 

I also loved the very positive depiction of the friendship of Amy and Molly in Booksmart. It was inspiring to see female characters that are so unconditionally supportive of each other. In my youth, Thelma & Louise was the film about female friendship, and I love that one still, but thinking about it now in 2022, I’d love to see a better outcome for that friendship…

What was the first movie you saw that blasted open the doors of queer representation on screen for you?
Lukas Moodysson’s first feature Show Me Love, which has a significantly better original title: Fucking Åmål. The story of two teenage girls in small town Sweden was refreshing, relatable and funny. The moment when the girls walk out of the bathroom holding hands in the end is so jubilant—that joy is contagious.

What coming-of-age character did you relate to the most growing up? 
My experience of growing up wasn’t really found on the big screen, and I know that a lot of women my age feel this way—that’s a big reason for why we made Girl Picture. Perhaps the most relatable character was Sarah in Labyrinth, played by Jennifer Connelly. She was brave, determined and strong, but also flawed and human, so someone to relate to. And even if David Bowie’s Goblin King Jareth was threatening, the charisma and warmth of Bowie made him a safe object of my first experiences of desire.

What are your most memorable ice-skating scenes in movies?
I hadn’t seen any ice-skating movies before making Girl Picture! So unfortunately, I had no memorable skating scenes to pull inspiration from. My DP Jarmo Kiuru and I watched ice-skating scenes from I, Tonya as a reference, but since we had no CGI budget, we had to adjust our approach to a much smaller scale. Like in I, Tonya, we also had a stunt skater for jumps and pirouettes, but instead of hiding her with CGI, we had to hide her in plain sight just by picture editing.

What are your favorite films set within a very short period of time?
The first great one that comes to mind is Do the Right Thing. That’s a film that can take countless rewatches! I also appreciate the Before trilogy. I was the perfect age for the films when they came out: I’m a few years younger than the characters of Céline and Jesse, so I was living my life on almost the same timeline and identifying with the characters, reflecting on time, age and life with them. And what high school girl in 1995 didn’t want to experience that night in Vienna?!

What’s a needle drop in a film that rocks your world?
One of my absolute favorite films from recent years—or ever—is Call Me by Your Name. There is a great dancing scene where Elio looks at Oliver in such deep pain and in the middle of his enormous emotion, the music changes to ‘Love My Way’ by The Psychedelic Furs. The camera lingers confidently in Elio’s emotion, which is intercut with Oliver’s funny dancing. It’s real and angsty and funny—a perfect depiction of what first love and desire feel like. 

I also love the choice of ‘Visions of Gideon’ by Sufjan Stevens in the final scene of the film. Again, we are just looking at Elio’s face, and this time we’re reading the hundred different thoughts and emotions that he is feeling. Sound is mixed beautifully here: we can hear a table being set in the background, as a reminder of life going on for Elio.

What are some funny films that you love to show people for a ‘vibe check’? 
Oh, I can’t even remember the last time I showed a film to someone. I mean socially, outside of work! I watch films with people all the time, but it’s mostly reference films with colleagues or new releases with family or friends. But now, inspired by this question, I’m going to show Bergman Island to my husband and spy on his reactions. This film about an artist’s life and relationships is brilliant and also funny—I’m curious to see how he interprets it.

What’s your fondest memory in a movie theater? 
When I was eleven, my father took me and my younger brother to see The Bear. It was special because I never went to the movies with my dad. The film was a very emotional experience and I was so relieved that the story had a happy ending. About 20 years later, I saw The Bear again at the New Museum in New York, where No Age played a live score for the film. That was a really interesting revisit to my childhood memories.