FARUZA
Director Katariina Lillqvist finished her greatly awaited new animation, Faruza in 2011. As most of her works, Faruza will definitely encourage heatful debates in many societies despite of it´s fairytale-like, gentle facade. Faruza is a medieval story of an isolated island kingdom in the Red Sea, where the rulers abide by a strict law: the women must wear a copper mask from the day they turn twelve until the day they die. The law makes the lives of the island's fishing families difficult in many ways: The families can afford the mask only after several years of saving, and because they are weighed down by the heavy copper, the women can't take part in fishing on the stormy sea.

As her birthday approaches, Faruza, the daughter of a poor fisherman decides to rebel. In secret, she befriends the island's hated and lonely blacksmith, who has longed for a change in his life. Together the rebels escape to the joyous court of the pearl fishers on the neighbouring island. But Faruza's fate is to return to her home island where the women await her. But as it happens, the island's queen has also had her fill of the mask. Read more about Faruza and see the Making of Faruza photogallery!

Film-co-operative Camera Cagliostro has proven it´s reliability in Finland as well as abroad. The company has produced e.g. the animation series Mire Bala Kale Hin, which is a co-production with three national televisions ( Finland /YLE, Czech Republic /CTV, and Holland/KRO).

Director Katariina Lillqvist´s animations are very highly valued internationally. Lillqvist´s retrospectives have been shown in several big festivals. She has won many prizes, like the Silver Bear in Berlin 1996. 2006 she got the highly acclaimed Finnish National Arts Award for her work.

Camera Cagliostro also co-operates with other animation and fiction film artists and directors. It also works fruitfully with various well known Czech animation artists.