"Free Skate" film from Finland (Loena Hendrickx is the skating double)

[Sylvia]

Thanks to @Frau Muller for reminding me to create a thread for this Finnish independent film about a Russian female figure skater, titled FREE SKATE - official website: https://www.brightfamepictures.com/free-skate

Official trailer (November 21, 2021):

"A promising figure skater flees from Russia to Finland to escape her inhumane circumstances. Despite the bright future and new possibilities, her past won’t let go of her. She realises facing her troubled past is her only option to make it to the top."

Statement by Roope Olenius Director/Producer:

"Free Skate is a brave and realistic coming-of-age story of a young woman set in the figure skating world. The film not only discusses the practice methods, psyche and human rights of the athletes but sheds light on the unfortunate connection between female sports and human trafficking, which we have become increasingly more aware after the rise of the #metoo movement. Our aim was to make a European sports film that doesn’t just glamorize the sports, but dares to dig deeper into being a real human being in the sometimes overly demanding professional sports. There’s well enough superhero films in the world and quite a few sports films fit that genre more than well. The least we wanted to do was to make another superficial film where we see the protagonist champion through an artificial story without any basis in real life. It was an imperative for us to dive into the suffering and cheris the pain so that we could truly celebrate the joy of succeeding and becoming something new.”

FREE SKATE is scheduled to have its International Premiere in September 2022 at the Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival in Ontario, Canada (showings are listed from 9/19/22 12:00 PM - 9/22/22 12:00 PM): https://cinefest.com/2022/schedule

Links to the film's Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/freeskatemovie/ (where I recall first seeing Loena's involvement mentioned) and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FreeSkateMovie
Behind the scenes of Free Skate with Loena Hendrickx and Sólya Ádám! (36-second video clip posted on March 20, 2022): https://www.facebook.com/FreeSkateM...-and-sólya-ádámthe-world-fig/3039227436338178

The World Figure Skating Championships 2022 are taking place in Montpellier and we couldn't be more excited for Loena who is one of the frontrunners this year. We had the privilege to have Loena participate in the making of our film as a stunt performer and Ádám as a choregrapher.

Excerpt from Frau M's original post in the Finnish news thread:

It’s due to premiere in Finland on October 21, 2022, according to this:

Free Skate

A young and promising Russian figure skater is found beaten and frostbitten in a lay-by of a motorway in Finland. In the hospital, the officials find a letter from her belongings and are able to reconnect her with her Finnish grandmother, whom she has not seen for years. With the help of her...

www.themoviedb.org

It’s supposed to be fictitious…but seems to be about a Russian with Finnish roots who escapes from a Tutberidze-type training center. Hope that it streams Internationally!

 

[Sylvia]

ICYMI, there's another current film that @2sk8 posted about earlier this summer in the TV Alerts forum that is now streaming on Amazon Prime:

"Goodbye, Petrushka" Indie Film with Figure Skating

"Goodbye, Petrushka" isn't a film About figure skating, but figure skating is an important part of its story line and there is a bit of figure skating in it. We don't often find that, so if you get a chance to see the film, I think you will really enjoy it. "Claire, 19, is a bit of an oddball...

www.fsuniverse.net

 

[Sylvia]

Saw this 5/20/22 article mentioned on the film's Instagram account:

Indiecan Entertainment acquires Finnish feature Free Skate

Free Skate is the third film director Roope Olenius and star Veera W. Vilo have produced together under the Finland-based prodco Bright Fame Pictures.

playbackonline.ca

Avi Federgreen’s Toronto-based distribution company, Indiecan Entertainment, has acquired the North American distribution rights to Free Skate.
Free Skate marks the second directorial feature film by Finnish filmmaker Roope Olenius, who also serves as producer. His first film was Tuftland, which was theatrically released in the U.S., Finland and Greece.
The English-, Finnish- and Russian-language film follows a promising figure skater who flees from Russia to Finland to escape her problems. However, despite her bright future and new possibilities, she finds herself facing her troubled past to make it to the top. It is set to be released in North America in the first quarter of 2023.

Meanwhile, Belgian Olympian and 2022 World Champion silver medallist Loena Hendrickx performs the challenging figure skating stunts.
The pandemic and the war in Ukraine disrupted the film’s distribution plans, resulting in moving the release date four times, according to Olenius in a news release.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Seems like a heavy movie.

I can definitely see why they use Loena as the double as she resembles the main lead.

 

[Sylvia]

I just came across a Finnish article dated December 19, 2019 (pre-pandemic) about the FREE SKATE film that includes photos of Loena when she filmed scenes in Espoo's Metro Areena:

Venäläisen tähtiballerinan karmeat paljastukset seksiringistä olivat viimeinen niitti – Veera W. Vilo haluaa kertoa naisurheilun vaietusta puolesta

Entinen huippuvoimistelija ja nykyinen elokuvantekijä Veera W. Vilo ei halunnut enää vaieta urheilijoiden karuista kokemuksista. Hän päätti tuoda ne valkokankaalle.

www.is.fi

Machine translated excerpts:

The Free Skate film directed by Veera W. Vilo's husband Roope Olenius is scheduled to be released next year. The film is currently being filmed in ice rinks all over Finland.
The Belgian Olympic figure skater Loena Hendrickx, 20, is also involved in the filming. Acting as a stuntman, Hendrickx does the most difficult figure skating elements such as jumps for Vilo.
Hendrickx, who finished 16th at the Pyeongchang Olympics, and choreographer Adam Solya, who came to Finland with her, have been excited about the experience.
- Our Belgian guests couldn't believe this sight. In Loena's words, there are ice rinks after ice rinks here. There are five ice [rinks] in Belgium, and Loena trains on the Dutch side herself. There are [ice] halls here in every part of the city, Vilo laughs.

Aiming at the international market, the creators of Free Skate have planned to show the film at international festivals in the fall of 2020. After that, the plan is to get the film to theaters in Finland.
Vilo hopes the film will bring attention to women's sports and sports such as figure skating. He would like the film to help people better understand the realities and problems of the species.
- I love gymnastics, figure skating and dancing. My intention is not to bash these species, but I think it would be healthy to be able to talk about things out loud. All sports have their problems. These include, among other things, a culture of overtraining and pressure to look good, says Vilo.
Vilo also reminds us that things are not black and white. The disciplined sports life has also been beneficial.
- I also believe that you can't get to the top without getting your ass off the bench. In these sports, you become goal-oriented, disciplined and never give up on anything. Those qualities will be useful later in life.
- Filmmaking has given me something to think about, what could be learned from these species and where the line should be drawn.

 

[Ananas Astra]

I will definitely check it out.
As a Russian with Finnish roots I can totally relate.

 

[Sylvia]

FREE SKATE is scheduled to have its International Premiere in September 2022 at the Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival in Ontario, Canada (showings are listed from 9/19/22 12:00 PM - 9/22/22 12:00 PM): https://cinefest.com/2022/schedule

Free Skate Movie's post today: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cim7iXatngs/

We are ready for you @cinefestsudbury!! Tomorrow is finally time for our international premiere!
Posted @withrepost • @indiecanent
We are pleased to announce that 'Free Skate' has been selected to screen both in-theatre and virtually at the 2022 edition of @CinefestSudbury International Film Festival, which will run September 17-25, 2022. If you are attending, make sure you don't miss it!
Keep an eye on this page for announcements regarding Free Skate’s upcoming release!

 

[Sylvia]

From Indiecan Entertainment's Instagram yesterday: https://www.instagram.com/p/CmsJfSnJMFA/

Free Skate (@freeskatemovie) will be playing in theatres on January 27th, 2023! ⛸

You can catch it at:
Toronto: Yonge-Dundas Theatre
Vancouver: S/C Coquitlam Theatre
Thunder Bay: Cineplex Theatre

 

[Finnice]

I saw it with my friends. It is... well watch yourselves!
I needed some refreshments afterwards.

 

[Hedwig]

I saw it with my friends. It is... well watch yourselves!
I needed some refreshments afterwards.

Was it that bad?

 

[Finnice]

Was it that bad?

Loena's skating was the highlight. Otherwise...

 

[Vagabond]

Loena's skating was the highlight. Otherwise...

It sounds like the coming attractions for the European Championships.