Cover: Anni Kärävä
All photos shot by Arttu Heikinnen (Digital + 120mm)
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It has been almost exactly 2 years since I last sat down to write a ski movie review. It was how I cut my teeth in this industry and was the beginning of the snowball effect that led me to where I am now. I often say it’s easy to get jaded when you watch skiing all day every day, but Forre never fails to spark the love.
Forre's last two films have been very special offerings, and Forre Movie 2 is the third in the crew's trilogy of movies filmed and directed by Arttu Heikkinen. Since Forrmula, Arttu's first outing behind the lens for Forre, we have seen his style as a filmmaker grow, he continues to reach new heights as a filmer and the crew pushes the boundaries of skiing in front of our very eyes. Hopefully, this isn’t the last Forre offering from Arttu, and if Douglas Adams made a trilogy of five why can’t Arttu Heikinnen?
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Mainio, Janne, Juho & Anni
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Formula really put the Forre crew on the map in a way that we’ve only really seen from other legends of the street skiing game like Stept and The Bunch. A seminal, flop it on the table, “welcome to the fucking show” kinda movie. The kind of movie that is akin to being kicked in the face by Chuck Norris but in skiing form.
CAST took a different approach, moving from the segment-based skiing seen in Forrmula to a crew movie, using artistic choices to separate the segments rather than the riders themselves. Grouping night and day shots together, using musical styles to compliment the skiing and spot selection. I, for one felt it was a maturation of style for Arttu, who succeeded at clearing the biggest hurdle of following a release like Forrmula, producing something different yet equally incredible. Unsurprisingly, he's backed it up for a 3rd year.
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The first thing that must be addressed in regard to Forre Movie 2 is the task of redefining the age-old adage of “death and taxes” to include Joona Sipola’s drip as a world constant. It hasn’t changed since Forrmula and why should it? It’s iconic.
You’ll notice after you buy the movie, eagerly await the download like a child on Christmas morning, and hit play, is that the runtime is a modest 13 minutes. There are no wasted shots, excess filler or bullshit - something that seems to plague ski movies of late and I refer you to Twig’s rant post-High Five for a further expansion of this point. The B roll is artfully done, short but sweet, and the attention to detail in the filming, spot selection, and put-togetherness of Forre Movie 2 leaves it a cut above the rest and that’s before you even consider the skiing itself.
The film opens with one of the gnarliest spots you’ll probably see all year in the streets: a huge roof gap sessioned by Joona and featuring cameos from Kuura Koivisto and Jon Salinen - a long way from the stunt ditch. We are then introduced to everyone else through a couple of shots and it’s evident that Forre Movie 2 follows a similar structure to CAST, it’s a crew vibe.
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That's not a halfpipe Jon...
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The short film is well broken up, with varied music choices dictating the pace and the shot choice for each segment. The tension builds, the spots get bigger. Arttu’s mastery of his craft is evident. All the key players are present and there are a few cameos some of which I've already spilled. You are, however, not getting a shot-for-shot analysis from me, head to the forums or buy the damn movie if you want that. What I will say is, Harald Hellström continues to ski the streets like nobody else, Mainio shows off just why that pair are pro as fuck for Surface, they make shit that’s so hard look so easy.
Anni Kärävä’s skiing is one of many standouts in this year’s offering. Known for her style in the park and competition prowess as a part of the Finnish national team it’s a joy to see how this translates to the streets. Her trick selection is impeccable. Anni’s street debut in CAST was clearly just the beginning and her shots in this movie are those of a seasoned veteran. Stylish, well executed, and flawless at every spot.
There are many contenders for TOTY in this film, Matias Suomi rides out one of the burliest 450s onto a double kink that should never be 4’d onto - not even in your dreams but the man is a beast. The ender held by a Forre veteran is going to drop jaws and almost every segment has a worthy TOTY/ender contender.
Benjamin Carlund
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But for me, the standout performance of Forre Movie 2, alongside the aforementioned Anni Kärävä, is Aapo Myllärinen. I don’t know what the streets of Helsinki did to this man to deserve treatment like this but he filmed like a man possessed. I think he had more shots than anyone and had standout tricks in every segment. He stacked banger after banger and just when you thought he wouldn’t have any more shots he’d have 5 more. It's a truly herculean effort.
All in all, this is a movie you need to go and watch. Support the filmmakers and spend your money (it costs less than a beer at your local après bar) so that we can see this crew reach even higher heights… and then jump off them. Forre is aging like a fine wine, Arttu gets it, in 13 minutes he’s done more than most achieve in 30. We may never be able to ski like this Finnish crew but we can goddamn film and edit a bit more like them!
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Head to: https://www.forre4life.com/ to purchase the movie and the upcoming merch release!
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Forre Movie 2: Official Trailer
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