Bringing Out the Shred (2006) (V)

Director:

Jere Vainikka

Writer:

Jere Vainikka (writer)

Release Date:

15 October 2006 (Finland)

Genre:

Short | Action | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

There is only one way to come out clean

Plot:

Mikko is a young cop and a one-time footbag player. When investigators come across illegal gambling involving footbag leagues, Mikko is tapped to go undercover. |

Plot Keywords:

Footbag | Battles | Undercover Cop

Cast

Aleksi Airinen	...	Pelaaja #2
Tuukka Antikainen	...	Tuukka
Sami Hirvonen	...	Routa
Jouni Kemppainen	...	Hautala
Ville Laakso	...	Ville
Mikko Lepistö	...	Mikko
Juho Marjo	...	Juho
Janne Pesonen	...	Pelaaja #1
Antti Riuttanen	...	Kylmänen
Teemu Salonen	...	Räty
Antti Teittinen	...	Poliisipäällikkö Teittinen
Jere Vainikka	...	Vaara
Felix Zenger	...	Zenger

Runtime:

38 min

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Finland:S (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Kuopio, Finland

Trivia:

Tuukka's voice is dubbed by Sami Hirvonen because otherwise Tuukka's narration in Vaara's scene couldn't have been recorded.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the beginning of the final battle, Juho is standing outside the ring even though he hasn't arrived to the match yet.

Quotes:

Mikko: Everybody lies best to himself

A Step Above the Competition

Having never been to Scandinavia, there were many things I did not know about Finland before seeing Bringing Out the Shred. For example, did you know there are major underground gambling rings surrounding a little-known sport called "footbag" which keep police detectives busy on the heels of organized crime? Yeah, no kidding. While the thought of a hacky sack® movie may not appeal at first to most people, BOTS is far beyond what anyone could imagine from the subject.

Combining stunning visuals of a new brand of stark cinematography- or perhaps one underused in recent decades- with a gentle yet gripping style of narrative storytelling, Jere Vainikka's BOTS is a first of its kind, in content and form. Great talents enact on both sides of the lens, but as a viewer it is easy to become ensconced in the magic as the story unfolds. Did I say story? Yes! Better than that of any Van Damme action flick or of the five (and presumed six) Rockys. This one has decent character development and an original plot, enacted by a surprisingly impactive cast.

If honest to goodness film-making is not enough to keep your attention, Vainikka's incredible camera and editing techniques evoke the spectacular nature of this hardly known sport, involving a whirlwind of spinning and flailing legs kicking around a little ball. If you are already familiar or even entrenched in footbag, then you too will be amazed. Not only are the skills cutting edge, innovative and awe-inspiring (yes, majorly sick tricks & combos!), they are presented in such a way that makes all other footbag videos look laughingly amateur, including my own.

While 38 minutes is not feature-length, the quality Vainikka delivers is as good if not better than many features of far more sizable budgets, and he deserves much respect for his feat, as well as all those involved. I can only hope BOTS gets the exposure and sales it deserves, though I am content knowing it will stir the same fervor in those fortunate enough to experience The Shred.