My service in the Conscript Band of the Finnish Defence Forces took me to a small French village east of Lyon called Porcieu-Amblagnieu. The idyllic village by the Rhône River was home to an international military music festival, to which we had been invited as guests of honor. During the week-long trip, we got to know the local culture, met bands from other parts of Europe and performed numerous times for the local audience.

There was a feeling of celebration in the air. A tiny event had been created in what seemed the middle of nowhere that brought together people from different parts of Europe. What at first seemed irrelevant and negligible turned out to be significant and unique. We were united by music, but not much else. We couldn't even find a common language with many. However, that didn't stop us from enjoying our time with each other in that fleeting moment we found ourselves in the same corner of the world at the same time. Shot on 35mm film.

This series is featured in Ylioppilaskamerat ie.’s NEW YOK 2023 magazine.