Tauno Kohonen
Photographer, producer
tauno.kohonen(at)rapidriver.fi
+ 358 400 286 956
Tommi Kohonen
Video and image editing
tommi.kohonen(at)rapidriver.fi
+ 358 400 696 545
Today nature is taken advantage of in its various different forms. In addition to heavy activity that changes and ruins nature, light explotation of it has also been accepted. At its best it's seen in nature travelling. The love between humans and nature has changed on one way or another to exploit nature in almost all of its forms.
What is the true meaning of nature to us? What is the true ethical content of exploiting nature? Have we lost the last connection to that, that we are part of nature. Nature is something larger which we can't necessarily see. The block being its commodification to various uses.
Only few people caring of nature has taken note of this.
One of them was an author, a poet and a nature philosopher from Kuusamo, Reino Rinne. His life's work for nature and especially the nature of Kuusamo has been incredibly important. His aphorisms touch the nature relations of people in a deep level. People exploiting nature for their own benefit don't even recognize it.
Now it's time to look at the true deep relation between human and nature; Love. According to Reino Rinne people have to find their inner nature. Then the nature around them can be preserved. If it even can be preserved from the forceful actions of humankind.
Kitkajoki – a beloved river tells a story how I, photographer Tauno Kohonen, have found being in nature within me. Now I'm thinking, I couldn't undertand it without the strong aphorisms of Reino Rinne, which are quoted in the film.
The aphorisms of Rinne hit precisely to the relation of humans and nature. The target is not only Kitkajoki but the whole planet and humankind. What will happen to us if nature is gone?
As a photographer I have sought answers to the aphorisms in places where the uniqueness of the nature was still able to be seen before the current developement took place. Back then nature was naure. 60 years ago the "rapid war" started and lasted for 30 years, during which Reino Rinne fought against building power plants at the rivers in Kuusamo. Now we know of a new threat when a gold mine, which has also been referred to an uranium mine, is planned to be built at Kitkajoki.
The film does not blame. However it might have a great impact on how Kitkajoki is seen in a larger perspective, also within people themselves. The aphorisms of Reino Rinne in the film have been read by Veikko Honkanen.He is a friend of Kuusamo and a resident for many decades.
I have taken photos at Kitkajoki since 1980 for 35 years, more than an outsider could even imagine. At Kitkajoki, south from Jyrävä, I have photographed every possible location many times during all the seasons. I have shot videomaterial ready to be used in the upcoming Kitkajoki - nature film already for five years. Material already includes over 300 hours of content from Kuusamo and Posio at Kitkajoki, Kitkajärvi and Oulankajoki.
Why so?
In this film I want to disclose the nature of Kitkajoki and especially the lights during the seasons. Every day there is unique. My goal hasn't been capturing a nice moment in nature but how the nature changes during the day and the seasons. I have never aimed to take a single photo but an entirety which is reinforced each year in its own ways.
The size of the material has also helped me to realize my own role – up until this point I have acted with a restricting stillcamera. Moving to videomaterial however allows presenting visually living material and combining it with the sounds of nature as well as music. This way the feeling can reach the viewer.
My long working history of 24 years of media experience helps working with the film. I decided to move from the position of a public servant in Kuusamo to a businessman in 1991 and after that I have made media projects through my company Rapid River. The artbook of Kitkajoki "Light in the Wilderness" was used as a gift book by the ministry of foreign affairs in Finland for many years. From the images of the book I made an exhibition that travelled around the world by the actions of the ministry of foreign affairs in Finland
The film is made together with a team of professionals. The content of the film has been created with the experts at Yle. A production agreement has been made in autumn 2015 with Yle Yhteistuotannot.
There is a saying that every producer wants to tell the same story many times to themselves. Kitkajoki has been a beloved river and the base of my actions, only the methods of making has changed. I know what kind of a film I want to create.
The nature of Kuusmo and Posio are unique, pure water, snow in addition to peace and silence. That can be felt in moments that you can return to again and again. I have often met people, fishers and travellers at The National Park of Oulanka. Nature drags you in. But nature is not an amusement where people are more important than nature, animals or plants.
One example of a traditional explotation of nature is fishing. Internationally valuable brown trout spawns from the large lakes in Russia to the rivers of Kuusano. I have seen the times when fishers got many large trouts during the night. Now the trouts do not spawn as often as they used to and to save them we have to work hard. The legendary pools of Jyrävä at Kitkajoki and the area of The National Park of Oulanka has had a fishing ban. Is overfishing from Russia the reason or something else? Now we need discussion concerning the culture around fishing these trouts so that they the fish colonies are preserved on both sides of the border.
Kitkajoki – a beloved river – nature film is a tribute to nature. It's a depthful view of the relations between human and nature. It raises thougths of how we deal with nature. Is nature inside us or is it a tool to something else?
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/i330dulz2fwn3zh/AAB1K-srGgL4B-j8oAV7TESTa?dl=0
You can find images of Kitkajoki in the link above. The colormode is RGB, 300 dpi, The largest side is max. 4000 pix and file type jpeg.
The license of the images has to be continued in all media contents, magazine, internet and TV publications presenting Kitkajoki. The subject of the article can be Kitkajoki -film, Kitkajoki -artbook or Kitkajoki -exhibition or Tauno Kohonen.
The filming spot for the Kitkajoki -film is The National Park of Oulanka in Kuusamo and Riisitunturi National Park at Posio.
Publishing terms:
Come follow us on Facebook to protect the river and its valuable fishes www.facebook.com/kitkajoki
Tell about your experiences at Kitkajoki www.twitter.com/kitkajoki Use #kitkajoki
Check out images added based on the seasons www.instagram.com/kitkajoki
Let's make Kitkajoki a beloved river to us all
In Oulu 15.10.2015
”Light in the Wilderness” exhibition has been presented in summer 10.6.-12.8.2017 at Kitee Kesälahti culture society exhibition space. The exhibition is based on an artbook by the same name, which was made in conjuction with 54 different sized photo prints. The photos were taken with a roll film which guarantees their excellent quality. This exhibition was unique exhibition to the corresponding international four year long exhibition tour which was the largest exhibition recycle in embassies by the ministry for foreign affairs of Finland. In addition an ongoing exhibition to celebrate 100-year-old Finland has been maintained at www.instagram.com/#kitkajoki.
A high-resolution photo exhibition is planned from photos taken by Tauno Kohonen. The entirety is built from a large base material which colors the pomposity of human kind towards nature and itself. The exhibition brings light to the various perceptions about nature and its purpose for us. The traditional understanding of nature is something different what we might think. Are we in a way abusing nautre even though we adore animals, flora, landscape and the moments of light from an ethical basis. Even though the main theme of the exhibition is classical nature photography, the entirety will remind the viewer how nature corrodes, becomes polluted and even gets destroyed over time. Follow www.facebook.com/taunokohonen
In 2000-2004 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Finland enabled older Light in the Wilderness exhibition to tour in various countries as copies. The exhibition has been the ministry’s biggest picture exhibition presenting the nature of Finland and it has gathered millions of viewers in all the continents. The images have been placed in valuable public spaces, cultural centers, libraries and galleries. The exhibition has also been presented at fairs and events presenting Finland/Scandinavia.
Light in the Wilderness – exhibition has been permanently available at the UN headquarters in the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN embassy building in New York.
More info at: http://www.rapidriver.fi/nayttelyt/valoa/maat.php
