Hiljan Päivät

Hiljan päivät was a warmly humorous drama about the successful Imatra-born author Hilja Valtonen, whose vast literary output addressed social inequality through wit and entertainment.

 

Hiljan päivät explores how Valtonen’s writing was intangled to her marriage that defied the norms of its time. Despite the inequalities surrounding them, Hilja and Kosti Valtonen found ways to support each other.

 

Hilja Valtonen was among the most popular authors of her era, yet the romantic and humorous nature of her writing excluded her from the Finnish literary canon. The performance Hiljan päivät challenges this dichotomy of art and entertainment by bringing chick lit, romance and humor proudly on board a multimedial artistic psychological drama.

 

Documentary video plays a central role in the performance. Archival footage, family photographs and films written by Valtonen form a documentary track within the fictional stage action. Archive materials are animated with AI, gently blurring the line between historical fact and theatrical fiction.

 

Hiljan päivät proudly presents the hottest love story of all Harlequin dreams: an equal partnership.