PIMEÄT KUVAT OR DARK IMAGES – OUTDOOR CINEMA UNDER THE SKY OF RAAHE, 24–29 August 2026

The festival’s third edition will welcome film director Milja Viita as its guest of honor. Viita is a visual artist and filmmaker whose works have been exhibited in contemporary art museums and galleries. Her films have been screened at numerous international film festivals, including Ann Arbor, Oberhausen Kurzfilmtage, Archivio Aperto, Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, and Hot Docs.

In 2022, she was selected to create the sixth contemporary art project for the Lönnström Art Museum with her archive-based collage film SKÖNÄRIT (2025). Her short film Animal Bridge U-3033 received the Risto Jarva Award at the Tampere Film Festival in 2019. Viita graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in 2005, where she has since also taught filmmaking.

Viita’s second feature film, PEOPLE ON SUNDAYS (2026), received nationwide theatrical distribution, making it a rarity in the history of Finnish experimental cinema. Her works are included in the collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Serlachius Museums, and the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation.

We are also delighted to welcome younger audiences this year. Since our late-night outdoor screenings are not always suitable for children, we will organize special school screenings at the Raahe Theatre during the first days of the festival.

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
Monday 24 August

Buster Keaton: SHERLOCK JR. (1924)
45 min

The Dark Images Festival belongs to children as well! This special screening, held as part of the school day at the Raahe Theatre, supports the goals set for the Oulu2026 cultural year by enabling children to participate in the festival.

A movie projectionist (Buster Keaton) falls asleep during a screening. In his dream, he becomes Sherlock Holmes, tasked with finding a stolen pearl necklace and winning the heart of his beloved from a rival suitor.

More than 100 years old, Sherlock Jr. remains a cinematic masterpiece, famous for Keaton’s daring stunts and inventive storytelling. Modern filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan owe much to Keaton’s cinematic vision and narrative experimentation. Combining comedy, romance, and detective fiction, the film remains as entertaining and accessible today as ever.

Tuesday 25 August

Buster Keaton: SHERLOCK JR. (1924)
45 min

Same programme as above.

Wednesday 26 August

Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s AMÉLIE – 25th Anniversary Screening (2001)
2 h 2 min | Age rating: 15
Evening screening at Raahe Theatre (Koulukatu 13), approximately 10:00 PM

The beloved French comedy Amélie is a celebration of joy and romance. Twenty-five years have passed since its premiere.

Amélie has an unusual upbringing, a vivid imagination, and a dreamer’s soul. Although she seems to live in her own world, she constantly performs small acts of kindness to bring happiness to others. But can such a carefree approach to life also lead her to happiness and love?

When released, Amélie captivated audiences worldwide with its unique visual style and warm-hearted story, renewing international interest in French cinema. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, this modern classic stars Audrey Tautou and Mathieu Kassovitz.

“If Paris were destroyed tomorrow and the recipe for true love lost, archaeologists could reconstruct both perfectly from a single reel of Amélie.” — Variety

Thursday 27 August

6:00 PM – Film Club Opening Event
IDA (2013) by Paweł Pawlikowski
1 h 20 min | Age rating: 12
Kinosalonki Sofia (Reiponkatu 35)

Led by Jussi Häkkilä, the Film Club launches its autumn season with Ida, the first installment of Pawlikowski’s acclaimed trilogy. The second film, Cold War (2018), earned the director an Academy Award nomination for Best Director. The trilogy concludes this autumn with Fatherland, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this summer. Highly recommended for jazz enthusiasts.

Approximately 8:00 PM
Milja Viita: SKÖNÄRIT (2025)
1 h 3 min
Pruuta Hall, Ruiskuhuone (Rantakatu 35)

Skönärit (“Seafarers”) is a collage film written and directed by Milja Viita, based on archival footage shot by sailors between the 1960s and 1990s. The film presents authentic images documenting life at sea: hard work, demanding conditions, and strong communities.

The material also includes footage from Ari Mylly, a seafarer from Raahe. Local sailors are warmly invited to join the discussion after the screening and share their own experiences from the world’s oceans.

Friday 28 August

Alfred Hitchcock: THE BIRDS (1963)
1 h 59 min | Age rating: 15
Approximately 10:00 PM
Pilot Cottage Courtyard, Iso-Kraaseli Island

Perhaps the birds of the Raahe archipelago will join us and turn the screening into a true 4D experience!

Few locations could be more suitable for Hitchcock’s classic thriller than the historic Pilot Cottage on Iso-Kraaseli Island. Much like our outdoor screening of Jaws in 2024, the setting itself becomes part of the cinematic experience.

The film will be shown in an open-air cinema built in the courtyard of the historic Pilot Cottage. Visitors can reach the island by private boat or via transportation provided by MeriRaahe.

Boat transport is available for €15 per person (round trip). The departure point is Lapaluoto, Helmilaiturintie 69. A café and grill will be open on the island.

Free admission. Weather permitting.

Saturday 29 August

Kinosalonki Sofia (Reiponkatu 35) opens at 6:00 PM.

8:00 PM – SALONKI x OPEN MIC
Organized by KulttuuriVaara

This poetry event becomes part of the evening’s film programme. The audience will enjoy readings by a featured guest poet as well as open-mic performances.

Featured poet Silja Kejonen (b. 1978) is an acclaimed writer and visual artist. Her debut poetry collection The House of Wedding Snow (2017) was nominated for the Helsinki Sanomat Literature Prize. Several of her later works have received nominations for major Finnish literary awards.

She arrives in Raahe with her newly published collection Versailles (2026), a poetic exploration of excess, etiquette, and history.

10:00 PM – Introduction by Milja Viita followed by

PEOPLE ON SUNDAYS (2026)
1 h 14 min

A process film about time, presence, and fragility.

The film was shot using a hand-cranked camera similar to those used in silent cinema and in the earliest films of the Lumière brothers. The characteristic instability of the image and shifting light produced by the technique are integral to the film’s visual language.

Its title references the German classic Menschen am Sonntag (1930), a landmark work whose interpretation has evolved through the course of history. Both films explore the inevitable passage of time and the beautiful fragility of life.

The screening will take place in the community garden of Kinosalonki Sofia, or indoors if required by weather conditions.

SCREENING SCHEDULE
Date Film Venue

Mon 24 Aug Sherlock Jr. (1924) Raahe Theatre

Tue 25 Aug Sherlock Jr. (1924) Raahe Theatre

Wed 26 Aug 10 PM Amélie 25 (2001) Raahe Theatre

Thu 27 Aug, 6:00 PM Ida (2013) Kinosalonki Sofia
Thu 27 Aug, approx. 8:00 PM Skönärit (2025) Pruuta Hall, Ruiskuhuone

Fri 28 Aug

approx. 10:00 PM The Birds (1963) Pilot Cottage Courtyard, Iso-Kraaseli Island

Sat 29 Aug

18:00 PM Sofia opens
20:00 PM Poetry and open mic evening at Sofia´s community garden. Poet Silja Kejonen performs. Organized by KultuuriVaara (see their social channels for more info)
10:00 PM People on Sundays (2026) Kinosalonki Sofia Community Garden.

About the Festival:

Programme changes are possible and will be announced on the festival website and social media channels. Seats cannot be reserved; screenings are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Fortunately, there are plenty of screenings to choose from.

The nights grow darker, the cinema shines brighter. Join us under the open sky!

For more information:
Tatu Hirvonen, Executive Director
+358 44 285 443
kinosalonkisofia@gmail.com

The festival is organized by Raahen elokuvakulttuuri ry (Raahe Film Culture Association). The event is supported by MeriRaahe, Café Ruiskuhuone, Raahe Theatre, Visit Raahe, KulttuuriVaara, PEK, and Elke ry. The festival is part of the Oulu2026 cultural programme.