Haus & Nipsu is a creative collaboration between Nipsu Kaipainen and Haus Kulju. Haus is a second-year visual communication student at the Lahti Institute of Design. Nipsu has been independently making films since 2022. Together, Haus and Nipsu have been creating queer-themed films since 2024. The duo’s films Silvanus (2024) and Diergaardesingle (2024) have been featured at numerous film festivals, gaining widespread popularity among audiences.
The festival presents their film Silvanus, which tells the story of Silvanus, the deity of wild forests. He manifests in the beauty of greenery as well as in the fangs of wild beasts, and he’s not particularly pleased when forests are cut down and domesticated. In the darkness of the forest, branches, stumps, and wild animals blend together. In the film, the camera has intentionally been pushed to its limits. The dark, hazy imagery invites viewers to pause and explore what emerges from the noise.
Curators’ Comments: “With minimalistic methods, Silvanus creates an intense atmosphere that forces viewers to face themselves in the darkness of the cinema. Unfortunately, the film’s ecological message couldn’t be more relevant—even in Finland.”
