Klaus Härö tells the story of a complicated real-life hero, Abraham Stiller, in World War II drama “Never Alone.”
When Jewish refugees sought shelter in Finland, Stiller, a respected member of Finland’s Jewish community, tried to save some of them from deportation. But he “wasn’t flawless,” argued the director after the premiere at Tallinn.
“When something like this happens, you have to make a choice: Either you deal with it or you run. It was right in front of him, but maybe he also didn’t want to lose? He’s a good protagonist, because he creates drama. What attracted me was the fact that he was a guy with a big heart and a big mouth,” he told Variety.
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Härö, also behind Golden Globe-nominated “The Fencer” and “Elina,” felt “disappointed” upon finding out more about the little-known history of his country, which initially sided with Germany against the Soviet Union.
“Personally, I grew up assuming we didn’t deport any Jews. I found out it was only half true: we didn’t deport Finnish Jews, but we deported civilians who came here as refugees. By the fourth ship, some said: ‘We don’t want a Jewish problem.’ Does this sound familiar? Now, when we’re in the midst of a refugee crisis?”
He added: “I kept telling myself that during the Holocaust, we stayed ‘clean.’ We didn’t. With [producer] Ilkka Matila, we started to wonder. Was there anyone who was trying to stop it, who was trying to help? That’s how we found Abraham Stiller.”
Produced by Matila for MRP Matila Röhr Productions, “Never Alone” – recently acquired by Menemsha Films – was co-produced by Samsara Filmproduktion, Taska Film, Penned Pictures and Hobab. It has shared in exclusivity a clip with Variety.
An outspoken believer himself, Härö didn’t want to shy away from spirituality in the film.
“I am a believing Christian, so I was very aware that I was visiting another culture. I am a guest in that house, if you will. But if we go back to [previous 2009 film] ‘Letters to Father Jacob,’ one of the reasons I fell in love with that script was because it told a realistic story about faith. We have been working on ‘Never Alone’ for 15 years and many things changed, but the scene of them celebrating the Sabbath was always there.”
He also found inspiration in film noir, turning to “everything from ‘Citizen Kane’ to ‘Sunset Boulevard.’”
“Never Alone’ is about secrets and things hiding in the dark. It was appropriate to have all these dark corners and fog. Also, when you don’t have the resources and you’re aware of all the limitations when you shoot, watching old classics can be very comforting. They pulled it off somehow and here I am, crying during ‘Casablanca’ again. If they did it, maybe it’s not hopeless, although making each film feels like an uphill battle.”
While the Finnish industry braces for planned budget cuts, Härö refuses to give into pessimism.
“I could bitch about the budget, but part of learning this craft has to do with embracing the role of magician. You need to bring an elephant onto the stage without people noticing. We know we are competing with the best, but our teacher in film school used to say: ‘Don’t make films only for your parents. They will watch them because they feel sorry for you.’ I want the audience to forget about me and just believe what they’re watching.”
While recent years brought “more nuanced portrayals” of what happened during the war, Härö is still waiting to see how local audiences will react to the acknowledgment of “Finland’s small part in this concentration of evil.” But it’s forgiveness, not revenge, that’s at the heart of his film.
“It all started with me feeling so saddened by our involvement in this and then it turned into a story about someone who tries to help. We can all relate to the fact that you promise to be there and then you’re not. You wake up in the morning to 20 missed calls, even though you meant well.”
Still, viewers can be “encouraged by someone like Stiller.”
“It’s like when that journalist says to him in the film: ‘Without you, who knows how many they would have sent away?’ We wanted to bring him out of that dark alley, because he did what he could and even if he didn’t, he’s forgiven now. Forgiveness is one of the simplest things, it’s in my life and my faith, and when you extend it, it changes things in yourself. I don’t think yoga brings you that kind of peace.”
