Starting from scratch is a collaboration project between 3 nordic labs: Filmverkstaden in Vaasa (Finland), kinosmidia in Reykjavik (Iceland) and Polar Film Lab in Tromsø (Norway)

With the ever-evolving conditions surrounding analogue film-making, it vital to have local film labs throughout the Nordic regions to provide working facilities, knowledge, and both a creative and conceptual framework surrounding analogue film. This not only facilitates and maintains the practice of traditional film-making, but also furthers its development and adaptation into the future as well as enhancing its hands-on qualities through local characteristics.

The aim of our project is to get to know each of the facilities and specific techniques and specialities of the three Nordic labs. Each lab is the expert for analogue film in their country / Nordic region with the goal to spread the gained knowledge in their region and develop their own specific artistic practice within the larger film community.

Our aim is to keep analogue film alive and accessible in the Nordic region and to promote its transformation into the future. The continuous work with analogue film will sustain a sensibility for the artisan film in the region. The exchange between the Nordic countries is a long term goal – we want to built a strong network for the Nordic region working with analogue film.

The importance of our network is to share knowledge, to generate new impact for all of the participants, to make analogue film accessible to a bigger audience and to create new characteristics in our own region and nation wide.