What makes an alum and a freshman produce a full-length guild documentary together?

Markus Toivonen, a Bioinformation Technology alum, started his studies in Aalto University in 2015. The idea for the documentary about Inkubio, the guild of bioinformation technology, was born in 2019, when the guild celebrated its 15th anniversary.

‘Most often, guilds end up writing a history book, but you can document history in other ways than writing too’, says Toivonen. He now works at a cybersecurity company called Hoxhunt.

Toivonen started leading the film project in the autumn of 2021, and the actual realisation began in January 2022, when Matias Ikola, then a freshman of Bioinformation Technology, joined the project.

‘Guilds usually give you free hands to do what you want and what you're interested in’, says Ikola, who grew into the role of co-lead during the project.

Neither Toivonen nor Ikola had any previous experience making documentary films. But they wanted to try it out and show what they could do.

‘We wanted to document and record the history and development of the guild – the guild has been essential part of experiencing the student community,’ Toivonen says.

‘We also wanted to highlight and thank the people who have made the guild happen, those who have done a lot for the guild. I’ve been following the guild activities since I was in secondary school, when my older brother and his friends were studying in Otaniemi. I felt that the guild was the reason for being in Otaniemi. Studying sometimes took a back seat’, says Ikola.

Students participate in guild projects in very different ways. Some drop out after the beginning, and others do everything they can. People's commitment varies.

‘When I set out to do something, I want to do it properly. It's rewarding to see the results, and I feel a sense of pride and appreciation for the guild. The community is a source of strength. On the other hand, the problem is that sometimes you do too much. The older students tell the younger ones to do less if they have trouble with resources. But still exhaustion happen, and then the same advice is again passed forwards. It's a mistake that you must experience yourself and learn from’, says Toivonen.

Toivonen and Ikola spent hundreds of hours shooting and editing the documentary. The core team also included Elsa Kattainen and Yrjö Koski, who composed the music for the film. In total, ten people were involved in the making of the film.

See how intense the editing phase was:

‘During the editing phase, four of us stayed at my place for a week at a time’, says Ikola.

‘We called ourselves a commune because we spent so much time together. It was unique. We had our moments of weakness of course, when it felt like the walls were coming down on us’, says Toivonen. He made the documentary while working and partly used his holidays for editing.

The first screening for guild members and invited guests took place at Kino Tapiola on 26 February.

‘It was an emotional moment when the premiere ended, and people gave a standing ovation. There were many friends there. A long process culminated in that moment’, says Toivonen.

Watch the document (in Finnish only):