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” film had its premiere 18.8.2017 at Savonlinna and is screened on TV by Yle at 1.1.2018, 2.1.2018 and 7.1.2018. The film received gold at the international WorldMediaFestival nature category and was additionally awarded with MagicEye special award for its photoprahpy. The film tells about the relationship between human and nature. Powerful aphorisms and thoughts of the late author from Kuusamo; Reino Rinne, movingly lets audience know that. Beautiful nature, the rare moments of light and the changes of the seasons of Kitkajoki, in the photographs by Tauno Kohonen used in the film emphasize the meaning of pure nature to us all in the movie. Follow www.facebook.com/kitkajoki
The trailer (7 min) from the beginning of the movie introduces one to atmosphere in it. The aphorisms of Reino Rinne and an example voice over are read by Veikko Honkanen, a well-known voice from the nature documentaries in Finland. The music of the trailer is an example music as well as the pictures which are taken by Tauno Kohonen. They were chosen to give a taste of the atmosphere in the movie.
Light in the Wilderness is a collaboration of YLE/TV1 Yhteistuotannot and production company Rapid River. It is supported by The Finnish Film Foundation as well as The Foundation of Raija and Ossi Tuuliainen. The movie has been prepared in Aikalisä- workshop at Heinävesi. Many experts have been part of it. Nature of Kuusamo and especially Kitkajoki are important for the producer and photographer Tauno Kohonen.
There is a saying, that every director wants to tell a certain story over and over again, the story that is important for themselves. For me, the river Kitkajoki has always been the base of my work, only the instrument has changed. I know what kind of movie I want to do, and the kind of experience I want to pass on to the audience. As a director I have gotten around me a team of professionals, who participate in the making of Kitkajoki movie.
Reino Rinne is a late author, journalist, poet and nature philosopher from Kuusamo. His life’s work on behalf of nature, and especially nature of Kuusamo, has been enormous. The acts of Reino Rinne influenced the decision of building a power plant in the area, effectively protecting the rapid rivers and falls of Kuusamo. It was called “the war of rapids in Kuusamo” which started 60 years ago and lasted for nearly 30 years.
The aphorisms of Rinne raised thoughts and they are extremely current at the moment since there are plans for a gold mine, to be placed along the river of Kitkajoki. Locals call it a uranium mine, for high uranium levels of the ore. The waste waters would be lead to Kitkajoki. The movie features the true deep relationship between human and nature; love of the nature.
Tauno Kohonen has travelled the valley of Kitkajoki since 1980. His hobbies being photographing, fishing, kayaking and skiing. Being in nature has been and still is important for him. Kohonen acted as a civil servant in the 1980s during when he personally influenced the protection of Kitkaniemi area, an area between Kitkajoki and Oulankajoki, and its combining to the Oulanka National Park. He describes himself as a photographer in nature.
In 1991 he established his enterprise Rapid River, which got its name from Kitkajoki. Kohonen has filmed material for the Kitkajoki-film for five years. The production company Rapid River has also made different media projects, videos, internet portals and art books, of which the most important is Light in the Wilderness book that introduces a reader to the nature of Kuusamo in seven languages. An exhibition made of the book’s pictures travelled as ten copies for four years in various countries by of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.
More information available in Finnish at www.reinorinne.com and www.rapidriver.fi
