A German documentary about the Air Guitar World Championships casts Oulu in a pleasing light. The documentary was aired on TV in the Saarland area of Germany last week.
The 45-minute program features Aline Westphal (who goes by the stage name The Devil´s Niece) and documents her trip to Finland last summer, from arrival in Oulu to her eventual victory as Air Guitar World Champion.
Along the way the viewer is introduced to, among others, the Rautio family of Oulu, whose oldest child, Aapo, also took part in the competition.
The look at the family is more than skin-deep, as the focus shifts to the father, Timo Rautio, who uses air guitar as a tool in his profession as a music therapist.
For air guitar fans, the documentary is filled with familiar faces: air guitar producer Hanna Jakku, air guitar activist Hilkka Haaga, Business Oulu director Juha Ala-Mursula, who explains the use of the air guitar brand, and musician Jukka Takalo, who explains the story behind the "make air, not war" slogan, and many others.
The documentary itself depicts Oulu as a high tech hub, a highly cultural city and Finland´s finest place for cycling. As a detail in passing, the documentary mentions that the only reindeer found in Oulu are at the meat market.