Many of her projects eventually result in both an installation and a film. The same goes for Love is a Treasure, a 35mm film by Ahtila shown in the Panorama program of IMPAKT 2002 and The Present. Both the installation and the film deal with the experiences of five psychotic women, their efforts to get a grip on reality and the delusions manifested in the world around them. In this work, Ahtila demonstrates how imagination and fantasy can function as a means to come to grips with day-to-day life. Within this light, one should view the motto of The Present: “Give yourself a present, forgive yourself”.

©Eija-Liisa Ahtila. Produced by Crystal Eye Ltd, Helsinki. Courtesy of Gasser & Grunert Inc, New York.