Elina Talvensaari

Elina Talvensaari (b.1978) is a filmmaker from Helsinki with a background in sociology and anthropology. This background is often present in her films as a distant gaze questioning our own thinking and norms. Often the focus is on the structures of our society. Her film Lady Time premiered at IDFA 2019 and marks a turn to a more personal approach in her filmmaking. Lady Time opened both Docpoint 2020 and Nordisk Panorama 2020 and won the Finnish film award Jussi for best documentary film in 2020. 

Talvensaari’s earlier films have also traveled the world and won various prizes. Her short film How to Pick Berries opened at the 67th Venice Film Festival and was nominated for Best Short Film at the European Film Awards in 2012. Talvensaari is passionate about documentary filmmaking and is working to keep the industry alive and prospering as part of film associations such as the Finnish Documentary Guild.