Age rating: K-16

Recommended posts

Browse all posts

Published:

Dogs Don’t Wear Pants

“Dogs Don’t Wear Pants” is a poignant and stark love story about the encounter between Juha (Pekka Strang) and Mona (Krista Kosonen) in the world of BDSM. Visually striking, J-P Valkeapää’s direction encompasses intense emotions and unexpected, dark humor.

Single father Juha lives as if in a dream, a prisoner of his past. Everything changes when he meets a peculiar woman, dominatrix Mona. A compelling connection sparks between Mona and Juha. Beyond the mundane, they have their world where Mistress Mona brings Juha’s suppressed emotions to life with violent means. Despite the pain, Juha desires more and goes further. Will this dangerous journey lead to ruin or enlightenment?

Highly acclaimed by the international press, the film has achieved unprecedented success at festivals worldwide. Premiering at Cannes Director’s Fortnight, “Dogs Don’t Wear Pants” has been showcased at various international film festivals including Karlovy Vary, Toronto, Busan, and London. Garnering recognition with numerous awards and distributed to theaters in 25 countries, “Dogs Don’t Wear Pants” has been widely praised and acclaimed.

Director: J-P Valkeapää

Starring:
Krista Kosonen
Pekka Strang
Ilona Huhta
Jani Volanen

The film brilliantly won six Jussi Awards:
Best Actor (Pekka Strang)
Best Cinematography (Pietari Peltola)
Best Music (Michal Nejtek)
Best Sound Design (Micke Nyström)
Best Editing (Mervi Junkkonen)
Best Makeup Design (Aija Beata Rjabovska)

Published:

They Have Escaped

Directed by J-P Valkeapää, “They Have Escaped” is a road movie depicting the journey of two young individuals across summertime Finland.

Raisa is the most troubled youth at a juvenile facility. Joni arrives at the institution as a civilian service worker. What unites these young people is the dream of escape, a chance to flee the violence of reality and constant despair. With the civilian serviceman possessing a master key and access to the institution’s old Volvo, the journey can begin.

The escape across summertime Finland is a wild adventure in two senses. It tells a story of fragile love and moments of insane happiness and freedom amidst a cruel world. Yet, it is also insane because the plan is fragile, and society may not let go— or will it?

Starring:
Roosa Söderholm
Teppo Manner
Petteri Pennilä
Sara Paavolainen
Pelle Heikkilä
Jari Pehkonen

The film won a total of four Jussi Awards:
Best Film (Aleksi Bardy)
Best Direction (J.-P. Valkeapää)
Best Sound Design (Micke Nyström)
Best Editing (Mervi Junkkonen)

Published:

Heart of a Lion

Dome Karukoski’s film “Heart of a Lion” is a touching and gritty tale of a small-town neo-Nazi, Teppo (played by Peter Franzén), who falls passionately in love with the fiery Sari (Laura Birn). His new girlfriend comes with a dark-skinned son, Ramu (Yusufa Sidibeh). Will Teppo outgrow his prejudices? Will love conquer or succumb to the pressure from his group of friends? And what will become of Ramu, who finds himself with a neo-Nazi stepfather figure? Behind the film’s unexpected and edgy humor lies deep emotions, and at its core beats the brave and gentle heart of a lion.

Director:
Dome Karukoski

Starring:
Peter Franzén
Yusufa Sidibeh
Jasper Pääkkönen
Laura Birn

The film won the Jussi Award for Best Supporting Actor (Jasper Pääkkönen).

Published:

Gloriously Wasted

Juha Berg is a 30-year-old alcoholic from Kallio, Helsinki. Juha has no intention whatsoever of changing his lifestyle – quite the opposite. He thoroughly enjoys random sexual encounters, adrenaline-pumping violence, and of course, alcohol, for which he scrapes together money even by collecting bottles. However, his alcohol-fueled fun faces stiff competition when passionate Juha falls in love with the group leader of the AA meeting.

Santtu Karvonen won the Jussi Award: Best Supporting Actor.

Published:

Hush

Sakari and Veera get engaged passionately in love. Veera asks Sakari to help with an issue involving her father in a way that completely surprises Sakari. Sakari does everything to prevent his fiancée from carrying out her plan. Before the story is over, Sakari has had to make choices he never imagined he would face.

Director:
Jyri Kähönen

Starring:
Jarkko Niemi
Jemina Sillanpää
Martti Suosalo

Note: No longer available on DVD or Blu-ray distribution.

Published:

Saving Private Ryan

The story begins on the historical “D-Day” during World War II. An American unit receives a perilous special mission after the landing. Captain John Miller is tasked with taking his men behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have already perished in battle. The men question the success of this extremely dangerous mission. Why should eight men risk their lives to save one soldier? Amid the madness of war, each of them must seek their answers—and muster the courage to confront the ruthless and demanding face of war.

The film won five Academy Awards in 1999:

Best Director: Steven Spielberg
Best Sound Editing: Gary Rydstrom and Richard Hymns
Best Sound Mixing: Gary Rydstrom and Gary Summers
Best Cinematography: Janusz Kamiński
Best Film Editing: Michael Kahn

Published:

Käsky

Recently returned to Finland from training in Germany, young jäger Aaro Harjula witnesses cruel events. As an idealist, he believes that he can promote legality and the realization of justice through his actions, so he reluctantly sets out to take the red female prisoner, Miina Malini, to a court he believes in. Miina and Jäger Harjula find themselves on a journey to a deserted island. Their shared experience changes and deepens their relationship. “The Court Martial” is Harjula’s coming-of-age story. The world, divided into good and evil, right and wrong, gains more nuances. Harjula meets the reputable Emil Hallenberg and believes that this man will surely make a fair decision regarding Miina.

Director:
Aku Louhimies

Starring:
Pihla Viitala
Samuli Vauramo
Eero Aho

The film was awarded the Jussi Award for Best Cinematography.

Published:

The Last Temptation of Christ

“The Last Temptation of Christ” is a film released in 1988, directed by Martin Scorsese. It is based on Nikos Kazantzakis’s novel of the same name and explores the life and trials of Jesus Christ.

The film deviates from the traditional biblical narrative, presenting Jesus in a more human light. It delves into Jesus’s internal struggles and temptations, including his relationship with God and humanity. The movie bravely examines Jesus’s uncertainties and conflicting emotions, sparking controversy and debate upon its release.

While initially controversial and met with opposition, the film has also been recognized for its artistic boldness and experimental approach. “The Last Temptation of Christ” is a thought-provoking work that challenges viewers to contemplate faith, divinity, and the complexities of being human.

Published:

Hymypoika

In a tension-filled movie, young Helsinki friends on the brink of adulthood secretly film themselves and each other engaging in sexual activities without their girlfriends’ knowledge. The filming escalates, ultimately leading to tragic consequences.

Published:

The Breakfast Club

Shermer High School, Saturday, March 24th, 1984. Five students have been sentenced to detention, under the supervision of Principal Vernon, for the entire long day. Claire Standish, Andrew Clark, John Bender, Brian Johnson, and Allison Reynolds are completely different young individuals who have had no interaction with each other, but the long day changes everything, turning them into best friends.