The task of the documentary is not to glorify its subject without any kind of criticality. The Tin Shoe Queen is more of an advertising product than a documentary, writes Iltalehti editor Ismo Puljujärvi.
The new documentary focuses on the life and career of Kaija Koo. Roni Lehti
Kaija Koo: Tin Shoe Queen
Directed by: Pia Asikainen
IL rating: ⭐
Singer Kaija Koo has really cleared her way to the Finnish music scene. The artist gets to voice himself in the new one Pia Asikainen in the documentary The Tin Shoe Queen directed by
Asikainen has previously dealt with Japanese rope tying, Eurovision fandom and transgenderism in his works. Now the first personal documentary of a large category is coming.
We set off in a very traditional way, remembering our childhood. Kaija Koo acts as a narrator and ponders out loud how even she herself does not know who is hiding behind the artistry. In the midst of an identity crisis, we remember the past and at the same time introduce who works in the singer’s team.
The picture narration is sometimes quite fast-paced. Sometimes you can see treasures from the archives and excerpts from both summer festivals and backstage. The use of illustration material sometimes even slips into artificial art, when Kaija Koo stands on a podium dancing in front of Helsinki Central Station in winter weather. In several places, the image and the narrative do not meet, which leaves a confusing final impression.
The singer’s well-known KK logo is rubbed against the viewer’s face in many scenes. It’s like watching a music video commissioned by a record company.
The basic tone of the documentary is positive, although in a few passages the father’s death and the singer’s divorce are recalled. The documentary would have needed much more of these moments to maintain its interest.
One of the most essential questions has also been completely forgotten. What happened to Kaija Koo in the 21st century? The Tin Shoe Girl drug had subsided and no similar hits could be found. What did the artist think about that time?
That period has pretty much passed.
Unfortunately, no one’s career is riding from one win to another, but there are also bumps along the way. The creators have to dare to challenge those being filmed. The tin shoe queen appears rather as an advertising product, where the aim was to glorify the target without being critical of any kind.
Kaija Koo’s story is delicious and offers a perfect slip hazard for the creators. Who wouldn’t rather focus on the image of a strong woman who has done and achieved all of that just like that.
Kaija Koo’s massive success started in 2010 with the song Vapaa. The adult woman’s empowerment and courage appealed to the audience, which has made the singer a centerpiece of festivals.
The tin shoe queen is the perfect epiphany gift for fans, because Kaija Koo’s music lives up to its rights. However, the documentary does not work as a portrait, but serves the record company more than the viewer.
The old wisdom is that the best documentaries about artists are made posthumously.
The Tin Shoe Queen documentary about Kaija Koo can be watched on January 2, 2023 at Yle Areena and January 6, 2023 at Yle TV1 at 7:10 p.m.