1918 is a year important in the history of Europe. In this video Remembering 1918, the scholars express their thoughts why this year is especially important for their countries (Finland and Lithuania).

Loving Vincent is the world's first fully hand-painted movie. It took the team over seven years to accomplish this amazing task. The story was initiated by the director Dorota Kobiela, and her husband Hugh Welchman has been a great support behind the idea. The couple has been through many difficulties during the process of movie making.

In this video interview "Loving Vincent - a story of love" at their studio in Sopot, Poland, Welchman said no difficulties they undertook could compare the difficulties Vincent had, and this gave them strength. 

 Photo by YIN Zi

Vilppula prison is an open jail near Tampere, Finland. There are about 90 inmates and 30 prison staff in it. The open jail system is not built with 8-meter-tall concrete wall, but invisible rules. No inmates wear any electronic device, and they are free to go out to work, study or participate training. 

In the short film Vilppula Prison, we interviewed two inmates who talked about their experience in Vilppula, compared with their time in closed prison. The director of Vilppula also talked about the meaning of such a system for a better society.

 Photo by YIN Zi

Michael Reynolds started to build autonomous housing projects half a century ago. As an visionary, he believes that by using automobile tyres, glass bottles and soda cans, human can live in a more healthy and ecological way and help revive a piece of rainforest on earth. 

In this interview Earthship - An autonomous vessel to live in, Reynolds tells about his believes, mission and hope. 

Danish carpenter Han Jorgen Wiberg is a visually-impaired person himself. He invented the iphone app Be My Eyes to help other blind and visually-impaired people to "see" things when they need. What surprised him and his colleagues is that the volunteers are so excited and happy to be able to help.

In this exclusive interview Be My Eyes - an app to lend your eyesight and help all, Hans explains what are the essential ingredients of the invention. 

Löyly is a public sauna along the shore in Helsinki. It was designed by the talented architecture office Avanto. This is the only unisex public sauna in Helsinki, which pushes the Finnish sauna culture further as a social event.

In this short film Löyly, a Social Sauna, the architects Ville Hara and Anu Puustinen tell their ideas behind the design of the building.

 Photo by Avanto 

Tom of Finland is the artistic name of Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen. His gay pornographic art works have had huge impact on gay culture and pop culture since 1960s.

In this short film Tom of Finland, the last lover and life companion of Laaksonen: Durk Dehner talks about the meaning of Tom of Finland to the world and the next generation.  

Photo by YIN Zi

Monokini 2.0 is an art project initiated by two Finnish artists Katriina Haikala and Vilma Metteri. They invited some fashion designers to design unique swimsuits for women who went through mastectomy due to breast cancer. 

In this short film, Monokini 2.0 - Who Says You Need Two?, the two creative artists and two models (survivors) present their ideas and courage to fight against the social norm. 

(Photo by YIN Zi)

| 我与摄影 |

我拍的东西都是平时生活所见，多用iPhone。一本正经地端着大相机和其他设备“搞创作”是极少的。2016年初，我把我的instagram用户名改成了yin_fotoyoga，在签名栏写下了“I practice yoga to bend my body, take photo to bend my mind”。我觉得这句话比较符合我现在拍照的状态。尽管我也不太练瑜伽，但是只要我练，就是伸展和放松身体筋骨。我拍照也不那么勤快，但只要拍，我的意识就抽离了生活琐碎，眼睛专注于所见，相当于脑筋舒展和放松。

可能是北欧纯净的空气和通透的光线，我逐渐对光和影，对坏天气和黑暗给环境带来的神奇变化更敏感了。还有就是各种表面产生的反射。目前来讲，我觉得我还谈不上所谓摄影上的追求，所有的共性和效果多在整理照片时发现的。有时候想多了，反而拍出来很差，这应该是由于我没有技术上的训练。不过我现在还是想多着力于在眼睛和直觉上的反应，让大脑处在一种松弛状态。

拍照于我是一桩治愈系行为，没什么野心，虽然还是常会被想提升的念头所骚扰。最近有意尝试的是超短录像。比如这里的一些照片，我用固定机位拍了同样场景的录像，最多二三十秒。不同的是活动的光影和画外的声音，蛮有趣的。

晨光，2016

努克西奥国家公园，2015

泳池绘画，2014

人造光，2015

车窗，2016

椅子，2014

城市另一边，2016

板条箱，2016

终点站，2016

出口，2015

新年前夜焰火的烟，2014

森林，2016

冻结的光，2016

墙上的树叶，2015

静默礼拜堂，2016

窗外的海报，2016

中央火车站，2016

水缸那头，2015

落叶，2016

黑门上的反射，2016

站台扬声器，2016

火车车窗，2016

港口，2016

照片中的我，2016

投影，2016

原文刊自 灰光灯 素人馆

Marc Aulén is famous for his soup lunch restaurant in Helsinki. 

Aulén cooks his soups and manages his restaurant with passion. For him, the customers are happy when he is happy. In this short video Soupman Marc Aulén, he performs how to cook one of his favorite signature soups. 

(photo by YIN Zi)