In My Name is Dingo, music plays on against a backdrop of family drama, something that is equally a source of strength and a stumbling block for the film’s protagonist. Already as a child, the frontman of the band Dingo, Pertti “Nipa” Nieminen, hears from his father that he is not good enough.
The long shadow cast by Nipa’s father does not, however, dim the enjoyment of the viewer. Throughout the film, the laconic dialogue characteristic to Pori acts in delightful contrast with glossy promotional photoshoots, screaming hordes of fans, and platinum records. The 1980s setting that surrounds the unprecedented rise of the rock outfit presents a homespun framework for the rock and roll glamour, as stage costumes are found in mum’s closet and beer gets drunk from generic, brown glass bottles.
The lead actor Saku Taittonen – who was not even born when Dingo were at their prime – shines as a characters whose ego is inflated by grief and fame alike. Director Mari Rantasila intercuts fictional material with archival footage, reminding us that when it comes to rock and roll, fantasy always makes up half the story.
Kaisu Tervonen