Artist: Veli Granö (FI)
Genre: Documentary
Finland, 2003 / 35 min (35 mm), b/w, colour & sound

The Film
Tähteläiset, »star people«, believe that they’re descended from another planet. One or both of their parents might be visitors from space. Some of the star people are residents of far-away planets who have moved to Earth. Many of the star people do not know their origin, but it is estimated (according to the New Age press) that there are as many as tens of thousands on our planet.
Author Anne Pajuluoma and artist Jarmo Ylänen from Helsinki do not lead an ordinary life. Their life, harsh and materially meagre, is surrounded by a world of miracles. They miss their lost daughter, who is growing up on the planet Sirius C. Unexpected visitors from other planets protect their everyday life, and Jarmo paints his powerful paintings in collaboration with van Gogh.

Veli Granö
Veli Granö (b. 1960 in Kajaani, Finland) is a visual artist, photographer and filmmaker, living and working in Helsinki. He studied 1983-1986 at the Lahti Design Institute in Lahti, FI. He has taught at the Lahti Design Institute, University of Art and Design Helsinki, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki.
His works cover solo exhibition projects, group-exhibitions, films and videos, as well as, books and other publications. He was awarded the Ducat Prize for young artist in Finland in 1992, the Pronze award of the 23rd Houston International Film Festival, USA in 1999, the Prize of State of Finland for Finnish Photographer in 2002, and the Risto Jarva Award of the 33rd Tampere International Film Festival in Finland in 2003.