Movie brunch: Tommi Kitti and the art of quitting
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Date
18.10-18.10.2025
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Duration
58 min
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Venue
Lobby
Show time
Sat 18.10. at 12:45
Introduction
The Art of Quitting is a documentary film about the possibility of a complete change in life – regardless of age or position. In the film, choreographer Valtteri Raekallio travels to the winter wilderness of Lapland to persuade his retired mentor, Tommi Kitti, to once again rehearse one of his earlier dance works for the stage. The intergenerational continuum of art-making and the transmission of tacit knowledge come into focus as a seasoned artist, who left everything behind, reconnects with today’s leading practitioners after more than a decade.
The Art of Quitting is a warmly epic road trip into life’s big questions and values. What makes a person withdraw from the peak of their career, abandoning everything built over decades? Is it possible to create a new direction and meaning for life outside one’s established environment? And when is it time to quit – or to begin something entirely new?
Choreographer and dancer Tommi Kitti (b. 1955) is one of Finland’s most significant dance artists of recent decades. His works, artistry and working methods have deeply influenced many of today’s leading Finnish choreographers. In 2012, Kitti abruptly stopped working as a choreographer and dancer, cutting all ties with the dance field in which he had been one of the most respected figures. For the past ten years, he has lived in Kilpisjärvi, Lapland, in a log cabin he built himself, without running water, electricity or a road, focusing on breeding sled dogs.
In addition to his inimitable quality as a dancer and his acclaimed works, Kitti was known as an inspiring leader of creative teams. His respectful and humane way of guiding artistic processes continues to serve as a model for dancers who worked with him. Valtteri Raekallio (b. 1982) danced in fourteen of Kitti’s works between 2001 and 2010. Their relationship has shifted from master–apprentice to a dialogue between colleagues of different generations, but Kitti’s thinking and methods continue to influence Raekallio’s own artistic work and leadership of his dance company.
The Art of Quitting follows Kitti as he rehearses, for the first time in nearly twenty years, his piece Väärä sävellaji (The Wrong Key, 2003), which was revived at the Alexander Theatre in Helsinki in spring 2023. The production featured some of Finland’s finest dancers, including members of the original cast as well as new performers learning the work for the first time. This thousand-kilometre journey from the fells to the stage and back takes the viewer into an extraordinary life story and unique artistic and personal encounters.
The film concludes with a 20-minute excerpt from the 2023 revival of Väärä sävellaji.
Brunch in Traba
Enjoy brunch at Restaurant Traba before the screening of Tommi Kitti and the Art of Quitting. Brunch costs €36, and children under 12 eat for half price. Entry to the film is included with either a brunch ticket or a ticket to the 2 PM performance of Asetelma neljälle tanssijalle & Spiraali.
Credits
Direction and screenplay: Thomas Freundlich & Valtteri Raekallio
Production: Lumikinos Production Oy & Raekallio Corp.
