An animation based on Lahti’s city story will be screened at Kino Iiris on Thursday, 30 October from 14:00 to 18:00. Finnish and English versions will be shown alternately in a continuous loop. Admission to the screenings is free. The animation will also be available on the city’s website starting Friday, 31 October at lahti.fi/tarina.
The visual design of the animation is by graphic designer Vesa-Matti Juutilainen, whose work also features in the city’s 120th anniversary posters. The narration is performed by professionals from the Lahti City Theatre: the Finnish voice is read by Jari-Pekka Rautiainen and the English voice by Vilma Kinnunen. The recordings were made at the Lahti City Library studio under the direction of media instructors Otto Härkönen and Otto Puusaari, who are also responsible for the animation’s audio production.
The storytelling project began when Mayor Niko Kyynäräinen requested an expansion of the city narrative originally created for Lahti’s European Green Capital year in 2021. The task was taken on by a communications team from the city: Maria Ansas, Juha-Pekka Huotari, Maija Joutjärvi, and Anu-Liisa Rönkä.
“The city story is not a historical account or a promotional speech, but a strategic narrative that strengthens Lahti’s identity. We hope the story feels personal and recognizable to Lahti residents—something we can all relate to,” Rönkä explains the team’s vision.