FUTURO - A NEW STANCE FOR TOMORROW

In 1968 Finnish architect Matti Suuronen designed the UFO-shaped plastic house, "Futuro".

This film takes you on an entertaining journey back in time to our recent futuristic past – a journey full of humour, international colour, drama, and dreams for the future.

This is the absurd but totally true story of an almost forgotten invention, which became an international fashion phenomenon in the late sixties and early seventies. The UFO-shaped plastic house “Futuro”, designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, was launched in 1968. It symbolised almost utopic faith in the future and technology and soon became the trademark of the new space age and of trendy neo-nomads.

It was initially designed as a ski cabin for difficult terrain. But in its lifetime it appeared in numerous variations including a leisure dwelling, hotel and petrol station. In an period of economical growth and more leisure time Futuro crystallised the idea of a holiday home that was easy to transport from one location to another. In the United States it was believed that once the Vietnam war was over, there would be plenty of helicopters available for this.The 1973 oil crisis put an end to the dream. Although the innovative Futuro attracted plenty of attention, and production and sales licences were sold to 24 different countries, it never fulfilled the expectations of its commercial potential.

Unique amateur film and other archive footage highlight the enthusiasm and ardour that followed Futuro around the world, and the people who were part of the adventure complete the story with hilarious anecdotes from Futuro’s various phases of existence.

The perfect design of the spaceships reflects the housing of the future. The plastic age is about to begin. (Avotakka Magazine 1968)After preliminary tests it will probably be possible to use plastic even for apartment buildings. But plastic houses were designed for holiday use, and hundreds of millions will have more and more leisure time in the 1980s.(Professor Rudolph Doemach at the L?chide Plastic House Fair in 1971)

These colourful capsules might be the housing industry’s answer to condensed milk – condensed living. (Holiday Magazine 1970)

Original title:: Futuro - Tulevalsuuden olotila

Release year:: 1998

Available formats:: Betacam SP (incl. IT-sound)

Director:: Mika Taanuka

Writer:: Marko Home & Mika Taanuka

Camera:: Jussi Eerola

Producer:: Lasse Saarinen

Supported by:: The Finnish Film Foundation, YLE TV 1

Running length:: 29 minutes

Production company:: KINOTAR Oy

Categories:

Drama

Children & Youth

In Production