How far would go for the perfect slice of pizza? In this week’s Staff Pick Premiere, “Fantasy,” award-winning filmmaker Teemu Nikki answers that questions as he mines his childhood memories for an unforgettable comedy of errors.
Based on Nikki’s experience growing up in a Finish village, the film begins with a young boy desperate to break up the monotony of eating potatoes for every meal. With just enough money and an empty stomach, he sets out on an unlucky journey to get his hands on some delicious pizza. Unfortunately for him, the closer he gets to his goal, the more things fall apart.
After making a number of successful features and short films, Nikki returned to his childhood home to shoot “Fantasy.” “All the characters are more or less based on real people,” he tells us. “I guess the biggest challenge was working in my childhood village. Everything went well, but it was very strange to return home as a film director. We also had some trouble with the falling pizza. The jacket was wet and too tight for the pizza to fall. Of course, it was very cold at the same time and our actor was freezing. In the end, we needed to build a slippery plastic box for the pizza.”
We’re thrilled to share “Fantasy” exclusively on Vimeo as this week’s Staff Pick Premiere.
