About me

Sami Sänpäkkilä aka Es lives and works near the forests of Tampere, Finland. He is a musician, film-maker and the head of Fonal Records. To date he has released five full lenght music albums under the name Es. Sami has made short films and music videos which have been screened in various museums, art galleries and film festivals around the world. The films and the music are experimental moodscapes that explore the themes of melancholy, pathos and hope.

Artists statement:

The distinction between the actions of animals and humans at this point in history may be described as this: humans always direct their actions towards an end result of an emotional nature. We employ memory in an attempt to rationalise the meaning of life or the search for it. Most look for these answers and simultaneously drift away from nature and the natural. At this level the behaviour of animals has not changed since the birth of the world. Survival and continuity of the species are still their cardinal goals.

Humans on the other hand are prepared to die for their faith and beliefs. The ways we search for meaning varies from birth to death. Creating and finding narratives in one’s own life becomes a solution. In every tiny moment of our lives lays a hidden narrative deeper than any one lifespan. My films and music are concerned with discovering these hidden private narratives and does not deal with time in a linear fashion. It perhaps merely tries to slowly fit a feeling from the silver screen to a memory of your own, and elevate that with hope and kindness. Through the melancholy of that moment you may feel like you are looking at the starry sky or a total lunar eclipse. In a way that will hopefully make your memories irrationally comforting.

Curriculum Vitae
Please email me if you wish to have my CV. Thanks!