Juha’s
friend agrees to help him to sell his body. Soon their business is booming and
Juha is making more money in an hour than in two days at his old job. His guilt
worsens every day, as does the shame and lies, but the money helps him cope with the downside of his
new profession. Everything is fine, so long as his wife doesn’t know about his
new job or touch her antidepressants.
Miehen Työ is a film about a man’s
dignity and humiliation, as well as male prostitution. It is also a story about
taking responsibilities and the pressure on a man, a father and a husband. The
film is dark with a hint of a humour, but realistic and quite intense thanks to
the credible acting. Directed by Aleksi Salmenperä, Miehen Työ is
his second feature, although he has made several short films, and hopefully we
will see another feature film from him again soon.
{mosimage}Interview with Tommi Korpela
You played the leading man, Juha,
in Miehen Työ. What’s Juha like and
was it easy for you to play the part?
Juha
is a man who thinks that his value is measured by his achievements. He feels
that he is loved only when he is able to support his family. I don’t think that
there are very much similarity between me and Juha. The part was challenging
and enjoyable to play.
Why was it interesting act in this
movie?
This
is my first main part in a movie and before this I have been doing more acting
at theatre and TV. So, acting on the screen is always good fun and experience.
How was the team?
It
was great and everything went smoothly. We shot the whole thing in about 6
weeks. I would like to do other projects with the team in a future.
What else are you going to do this
year?
I
am busy for the rest of the year. I will continue my work at theatre and act on
TV as well.
Aleksi Salmenperä answers
Why did you make a movie about the
shame of a man?
I
liked the topic. It is interesting and important issue. There are plenty of men
in Finland and everywhere else on this planet who feel like Juha.
Did you any research about the male
prostitution?
I
met a journalist who had written an article about the subject. I read it, got
interested in it and read some other articles as well.
What is the deal of the man’s
shame?
Men
want to accomplish things, be successful and if they fail, it is a matter of
their self-esteem. Men are very competitive and they measure their achievements
all the time.
Do you think that there will be
public conversations about the main topics of the film? Which topic will gain
more attention in publicity?
Probably
the male prostitution -topic, which really isn’t the main topic. It is easy to
hang on to it.
What’s on your agenda this year?
I
am planning new films. Few subjects have been in my mind for a while now. I
would like to do a film about an old man and his despair or about kids in the
70’s.