Classic Cinemas

The Story

The Finnish design company Marimekko is famous throughout the world for its original prints and colours. Maija Isola was one of Marimekko’s first designers and she spent 38 years working for the company. During this time, she designed over 500 prints for Marimekko. Her fabric designs revolutionised Finnish homes in the 1950s and 60s. Art took the form of textiles and became easily accessible. Since the 1960s, once Isola’s fabrics had consolidated their place in Finnish society, they also took over public spaces. And their success was not confined to Finland, they conquered the entire world, from New York to Tokyo. The film looks for the secret behind the success of Maija Isola’s fabrics. Maija’s art, both her paintings and her fabrics, was often inspired by nature in all its forms. We also ask: Who was Maija Isola? Where did she find her inspiration during her decades-long career? Events that shaped her life will be presented through archive materials, new documentary footage and her personal legacy: paintings, original designs, photos and slides. Her way of experiencing things is reflected in new fictive footage, animation and film clips that describe her inner world, and cut-out animations illustrate how her various fabric designs are created.