ABOUT THE PLAY

A warmly humorous play about the successful Imatra-born author Hilja Valtonen, whose vast literary output tackled issues of inequality under the guise of humor.

In her work, Hilja Valtonen gave a voice to the middle-class working woman, and that voice was sharp. This is hardly surprising, given that well into the 20th century, a woman's right to education, work, and even ownership was legally in the hands of her husband or father. However, despite the inequalities of her time, Valtonen found an equal and loving partnership with her husband, Kosti. Hiljan päivät is an imagined portrayal of this love.

Hiljan päivät is a play about Hilja Valtonen and how she began writing. At the same time, it is also a play about her husband, Kosti – a man who learned to wear dishwashing gloves in front of others.

ABOUT THE VIDEO

The video design incorporates archival material from the 1920s, photographs compiled by Hilja’s descendants, and films scripted by Valtonen. From these video materials, I created a short documentary that was shown at the beginning and end of the play.

Artificial intelligence was also used in the creation process to bring photographs to life, allowing us to imagine and immerse ourselves in the past. Through AI, we could see the trees and bushes sway in the wind in the yard of Hilja’s 1970s home or freeze a fleeting moment from a 1920s video—capturing Hilja in mid-turn, making eye contact with the camera and, in turn, the audience, as if she were truly present.

Working on the video felt like working with ghosts.

CAST

Script: Asta Honkamaa

Director: Maia Häkli

Set and Costume Design: Maarit Kalmakurki

Video Design: Veli-Ville Sivén

Cast: Anna-Kaisa Makkonen, Eppu Pastinen, Ulla-Maija Järnstedt, Marko Kurikka

Performance Rights: Nordic Drama Corner Oy

Pictures Veli-Ville Sivén