The Diver (2001 film)

{{Short description|2001 film}}

{{Expand Finnish|topic=cult|date=March 2022}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Infobox film

| name = The Diver

| image = The Diver (2000 film).jpg

| caption =

| director = PV Lehtinen

| producer = PV Lehtinen

| writer = PV Lehtinen

| music = Moby

| cinematography = Jyri Hakala

| editing = PV Lehtinen

| distributor =

| released = {{Film date|2001|03}}

| runtime = 21 minutes

| country = Finland

| language = Finnish

| budget =

}}

The Diver ({{langx|fi|Hyppääjä}}) is a 2001 Finnish short film directed by PV Lehtinen. It is an ode to diving and the aesthetics of movement. The film focuses on Helge Wasenius (born 1927), the grand old man of diving, who competed in two Olympic Games and performed clown dives.{{cite web | url=https://tamperefilmfestival.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/TFF_Catalogue_2019_WEB.pdf | title=Tampere 49th International Short Film Festival, Programme catalogue | page=148 (pdf-page 75) | date=2019 | website=Tampere Film Festival | access-date=19 January 2022}} Lehtinen has said that the protagonist, Helge Wasenius, was his neighbour and childhood hero. When he started planning the film, an image of Wasenius hanging by his feet from the ten-meter diving tower of Helsinki Swimming Stadium was embedded in his head. The diving sequences in the film have been compared to Leni Riefenstahl.

Lehtinen has said he was inspired by Herb Ritts’ photographs of divers more than

Riefensthal.{{cite web | url=https://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/art-2000003953616.html | title=Lyhyt oli kauneinta Tampereella | first=Leena | last=Virtanen | date=11 March 2001 | work=Helsingin Sanomat | language=fi-FI | access-date=26 September 2021}}