Award: Jussi

Published: November 23, 2023

The Unknown Soldier

Finnish garrison gets an order and their machine gun company is transported to the eastern border – soon, war becomes a reality again.

Directed by Aku Louhimies, The Unknown Soldier is the third film adaptation based on Väinö Linna’s classic novel. It describes the journey of a Finnish infantry unit in the Continuation War, that lasted three years. The film tells the story of Rokka, Kariluoto, Koskela, Hietanen, and their comrades – how fellowship, humor, and the will to survive unite men on their journey there and back. The war revolutionized the lives of both individual soldiers and those left behind on the home front, leaving its mark on the entire nation.

The film received significant recognition, winning four Jussi Gala trophies: Best Sound Design, Best Leading Actor, Best Editing, and Best Makeup Design.

Published: June 2, 2023

Kupla

Eveliina, 16 years old, happens to see her mother kissing another woman. She is afraid of his parents’ separation and decides to intervene in the situation without permission and without fearing the limits of means. She believes that the best way to destroy mom’s extramarital affair and bring the parents back together is to be the teenage daughter who causes trouble.

So Eveliina throws herself into multi-problems. In this process, a few other lives also become stakes. Despite that, Eveliina keeps her plans a secret until the very end, and even adults have secret means of survival – until the bubble bursts.

Among the film’s actors, Stella Leppikorpi won the Jussi Award for Best New Actress.

Published: May 19, 2023

Ladies of Steel (Teräsleidit)

75-year-old Inkeri is facing a life sentence, because she hit her husband Tapio on the head with a frying pan. However, Inkeri still wants to live fully and freely for a while, while there is still a chance. She sets off with her two older sisters towards the landscapes of her youth and along the way happens all kinds of things – they pick up two hitchhikers, the car breaks down and dancing in a nightclub turns sinful.

However, it is not just an escape trip before imprisonment, because at the same time Inkeri examines her past, her future, as well as her family and partner relationships. She may even find a love that was once extinguished.

Saara Pakkasvirta was awarded the Jussi award for best supporting actress.

Published: May 16, 2023

Karaokeparatiisi

Karaokeparatiisi, awarded as the best documentary film of the year, is about Finnish karaoke culture. The film interviews five different people and describes how they live with karaoke.

Published: May 11, 2023

Le Havre

A small African boy ends up in the French port city of Le Havre in a shipping container full of other refugees. The boy manages to escape and while hiding from the authorities, he meets a shoe polisher who wants to help the boy get to his destination: London to his mother. At the same time, the shoe polisher’s wife is diagnosed with a serious illness.

The film won a remarkable six Jussi awards: Best Film, Best Direction, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

Published: May 11, 2023

Blue Corner (Haaveiden kehä)

The ring of dreams is about an ambitious and strict single father who hopes that his two sons will become professional boxers. The father believes that the older son Jamppa is going to continue forging his boxing career in the world. Little brother Kusti struggles with weight problems. Are the father’s wishes for top athlete sons really worth pursuing?

At the 2003 Jussi gala, the film won three awards: Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Music.

Published: May 2, 2023

A Summer by the River (Kuningasjätkä)

A Summer by the River (Kuningasjätkä) takes place in Eastern Finland in the 1950s around the events of log swimming. The father in the story loses his wife – and only father and son remain. The father (Tenho) goes with his son (Simon) for the summer to prune trees, where the work and the workers are merciless. The film beautifully depicts Finland’s summer nature, and there is also a bit of love involved when Tenho finds a new interesting woman.

The film won a fantastic five Jussi awards in the following categories: Film of the Year, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Direction, and Best Screenplay.

Published: March 30, 2023

Sokkotanssi

In the movie Sokkotanssi (Trans. Blind Dance), the 60s are lived in a small Finnish town by the sea. Another of the main actors is a boy named Jontti. He is a very curious child who finds out about his father’s secret relationship with another woman. Jontti’s best friend from the neighborhood is Länki, who misses his father who lives out of reach. These aspects of life put a lot of pressure on the boys’ minds, which makes them do all kinds of naughtiness.

The film has well-known Finnish actors. Jontti’s father is Martti Suoaho, Pirkka-Pekka Petelius plays a barber and Vesa-Matti Loiri plays an alcoholic citizen in a small supporting role. Movie uses subtle humor, but also drama.

The film won the Jussi award for best screenplay.

Published: March 30, 2023

Lady Time

The documentary tells the story of Sirkka-Liisa Miettinen, who died at the age of 98 in Helsinki’s Kisakylä and had no relatives. Elina Talvensaari, who is the director of the film, was inspired to make that film when she bought Sirkka-Liisa’s apartment by chance. The apartment came with all of Sirkka-Liisa’s personal belongings, down to the smallest item. The director did not want to put the items directly into the disposal, because then even the last grains of information about Sirkka-Liisa would have been lost. Elina wanted to remember Sirkka-Liisa, so the idea for Lady Time came from this.

Published: March 23, 2023

Oppipoika (Lärjungen)

The year is 1939. A 13-year-old boy named Karl arrives on the island of Lånskär in Åland. There, the boy is supposed to learn the job of a lighthouse keeper by being the apprentice of the lighthouse master Hasselbond, which is not an easy task. An exciting thriller full of choices begins.

The film won the Jussi award for best costume design.

School cinema learning material is also available in Swedish. The learning material deals with Finnish-Swedish cinema, children’s rights, psychological thrillers, the psychology of evil, motivation, and emotions.