Actor Michael Vardian talks about Rage – Midsummer’s Eve, Sauna and Skinny Dipping at the Arctic Circle
Now that the nights are getting longer and darker especially up in the northern hemisphere, and in the Arctic Circle, where the sun does not rise during the cold winter months, it is a good time to take a look at Tii Ricks’ upcoming horror feature, Rage – Midsummer’s Eve. Ricks’ upcoming film is set in the Finnish Arctic Circle during the White Nights where – opposite to the winter months – the sun does not set at all during the Midsummer.
Rage – Midsummer’s Eve has raised a lot of interest amongst horror fans all over the world: There have been articles published, for example in the USA, England, Brazil, Poland, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Malaysia, Japan and Sweden – not to forget Finland, where the film is set. We met one of the leading actors of the film, Finnish born Michael Vardian, in Los Angeles to discuss horror films, sauna, making nude scenes and Midsummer’s Eve.
Q: You play one of leading roles in Rage – Midsummer’s Eve. Tell us a little about yourself. How did you become an actor in the first place?
A: Well, I was born in Finland. At the time, when I was under 20 years old, there were basically only two schools in the whole country who offered professional training; receiving a degree in becoming an actor. At the time I was too young to apply for these schools, so I went on to study to become a Drama Teacher. While studying there, I heard about this new international school and research center for acting skills which I applied to and was accepted. After those studies, I worked for a couple of years in different theaters in Finland and traveled around and ended up spending a lot of time in Los Angeles and London. I always wanted to learn more about different acting methods, cultural differences in theaters and acting styles all over the world, and to maintain and improve my skills in acting.
Q: How did you end up a role in Rage – Midsummer’s Eve?
A: In 2009 I did a comedy feature, a mocumentary, ‘Better Than Andy’ which was Tii Ricks’ first feature film. The film was a small independent production released straight to DVD and VOD. I played the role of a Finnish artist, who rose to fame in the States with his weird performances. I realized that Ricks was a good director, and after the film we set off and did a couple of other productions together: music promos, an EU funded documentary, and so on. I was in Los Angeles in 2010 when Ricks contacted me and suggested a role in her horror film, Rage – Midsummer’s Eve, which she wanted to shoot in Finland during the White Nights in the Midsummer, when the sun never sets. The first script version was actually a zombie story set in the Finnish Arctic Circle, but the script developed and got its final form during Autumn of 2010.
Q: I have understood you make a really physical role in the film. How was it as an experience?
A: It was great. I had not visited the Finnish countryside for almost ten years, and it was awesome to see our American and British crew members enjoying the process and enjoying Finland’s clean nature. We had a pretty small crew, up to just some 50 people on the set at times. Some of the locations were hard to get to from time to time. In this film there was a lot of exciting scenes where we had to run and escape some situations, and the terrain we worked in was often pretty harsh and took a lot of energy. After every shooting day we just basically head down to our accommodation as soon as we could, put on the sauna, healed the wounds and aching muscles, and tried to get as much sleep as possible, because we knew that the next day we would have to do it all over again.
Q: Oh, yes – the Finnish sauna. Did you introduce the sauna to the crew members?
A: We managed to have a couple of crew member parties where everyone just took off their clothes, went into the sauna and jumped into the lake –
Q: All of you at the same time?
A: Yeah, I mean – it was a Unisex Sauna.
Q: And everyone was nude?
A: Oh, yes. That is completely normal in Finland. Most of us were even sober at the time. I believe we managed to convert some of the dubious ones into believers of the benefits of the sauna. I also believe that drinking Finnish vodka and eating reindeer meat had something to do with the process. There’s actually – of course – a quite funny sauna scene in the film, which gives a rather authentic feel of a Finnish sauna for the viewers.
Q: How about the Midsummer’s Eve and the White Nights – that must have been a quite an experience for the foreigners too?
A: Definitely, even for me. Every time I visit Finland during the summer and see the sun still shining in the middle of the night: That still amazes me. When it comes to horror films: People are afraid of the things they cannot see or can not comprehend. I think that the never ending daylight and the odd things happening during the so called “safe” time of day can be even more mystical and scary than the things we are already afraid of during the night. In some films it is kind of an easy way out pointing the flashlight into the dark corners where evil usually lurks. Let me tell you – one of the most creepiest things I know is a large field in the middle of nowhere during the Midsummer’s White Nights: There are no birds singing whatsoever, there is basically no wind blowing, there is a little haze above the field and you know that it is 3 am in the morning but your mind refuses to believe it, because it is light as a day. That is a much scarier situation to be in than any dark alley during the night.
Q: Talking about horror – what kind of horror films do you like?
A: I think the first horror film I saw was Halloween 2 followed by Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
with Michael Rooker. Michael Rooker was visiting Finland during a film festival when I was a teenager, so I actually traveled by myself to the other side of the country, just to get a glimpse of him. Those two films are still some of my favorite films of all time. I get really pulled into the films I watch and I can get pretty scared very easily. Therefore – I do not watch horror films alone, but if there’s good company, I love a good haunting or exorcism film. Of course, I also have to mention A Nightmare of Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, directed by a Finnish born Renny Harlin. I think that film is still the best of the franchise.
Q: After Rage – Midsummer’s Eve you have done a lot of smaller roles for different kinds of productions, such as BBC One’s most successful drama series since 2001, Call the Midwife and a UFO documentary series for National Geographic. Are there any plans for you to do even more horror films in the future?
A: Sure. I love the genre and I have actually been talking with some directors about their upcoming projects. All depends on the financing of those films. I love doing all kinds of acting, in different kinds of productions but I would definitely love to do another horror film as soon as possible. That would be great.
Q: Thanks for you time, Michael. We are looking forward to Rage – Midsummer’s Eve.
A: Thank you. Happy to be here.
Rage – Midsummer’s Eve official Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/ragemidsummerseve
Post submitted by Jessica
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