Oiva, Table and Kaj Franck

57 min · Documentary · Yle Areena, 2012

"Oiva, pöytä ja Kaj Franck" is a documentary portrait of Finnish designer Kaj Franck, told largely through the memories of his friend and colleague Oiva Toikka. The film centres on their long professional relationship, which began when Toikka arrived at the Nuutajärvi glassworks in 1963 and found himself working alongside one of the most influential figures in post-war Finnish design.

Returning in 2012 to the same table where they once worked together, Toikka recalls their collaboration and draws while reflecting on Franck’s personality, ideas and deep passion for objects and materials. The documentary also features Franck’s colleagues, students and friends, as well as archival footage filmed by Franck himself in Finland, the United States and Japan. His ideas about simplicity, restraint and ecological responsibility are presented alongside the objects and working practices that made him a defining figure in Finnish design.