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Milka

“Milka – A Film about Taboos” tells the story of a young girl awakening to her sexuality in a village community in Lapland. The film is based on Timo K. Mukka’s story “Tabu” (1965). On a personal level, Milka narrates the relationship between two women: a mother and her daughter. Ojanen, also known as Kristus-Perkele (Christ-Devil), a widowed mother’s helper, is a headstrong, independent laborer and skilled carpenter whom Milka admires. By impregnating Milka and making her a mother, he simultaneously ends both the girl’s childhood and the mother’s hopes of marriage with a new carpenter. When Ojanen disappears, a man takes his place in Milka’s life—a stable figure symbolized by a dark green overcoat and horn-rimmed glasses—the church organist, whom the mother has reluctantly accepted due to a lack of better options. With the arrival of the child and a new life, Milka’s relationship with the village community also undergoes changes.

Starring:
Irma Huntus
Matti Turunen
Leena Suomu

Jussi Award:
Best Producer – Rauni Mollberg

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Pretty Good for a Human

“Pretty Good for a Human” takes viewers into the midst of life in a Finnish small town in the 1920s. By following the diverse inhabitants of a wooden block, the film constructs a humorous and heartwarming portrayal of an era as seen through the eyes of ordinary people.

Starring:
Olavi Ahonen
Lauri Arajuuri

Jussi Awards:
Best Producer: Rauni Mollberg
Best Actor: Toivo Mäkelä
Best Actress: Raili Veivo
Best Actress: Irma Seikkula
Best Direction: Rauni Mollberg

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Maa on syntinen laulu

The film based on Timo K. Mukka’s controversial novel is simultaneously a naturalistic and lyrical depiction of life in Lapland, as well as a broader exploration of humanity and its absence. In “The Tenant,” a farmhand is stabbed at a dance, and the village holds a funeral. Martta takes care of the funeral’s coffee service and immediately becomes infatuated with Oula, a Lapp reindeer herder. During winter, the son of the Kurkela household courts Martta and persuades her to spend a night together. Disappointed by the experience, Martta cannot forget Oula. During the reindeer separation period, she meets Oula again, but their happiness faces several obstacles. The son of the Kurkela household is jealous, and Martta’s father believes Oula is an unworthy man with a string of illegitimate children with different women. Oula lures Martta into running away from home.

Jussi Awards:
Best Producer: Rauni Mollberg
Best Actor: Aimo Saukko
Best Direction: Rauni Mollberg
Best Cinematography: Kari Sohlberg

Starring:
Maritta Viitamäki
Pauli Jauhojärvi
Aimo Saukko
Milja Hiltunen

Ajomies elokuvan juliste.

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Ajomies

A windy summer for a trackmaster. The trackmaster works amidst great forces, heavy machinery, and unpredictable animals, mastering them all. However, one summer involved greater forces – the emotions, both his own and others’.

The driver, played by Matti Laine, lives a quietly steady life: he works at the racetrack, is married, and enjoys sauna sessions at the cottage. After the summer, a move is on the horizon, and the man should train Marita (Elina Ylisuvanto), a vibrant woman, to be the new driver of the starting car. Emotions run high at the racetrack, but having two women in his life becomes overwhelming, leaving an undeniable choice before him.

The movie, executed in every aspect with elegance, unfolds at the Pilvenmäki racetrack. It portrays both the mundane and dramatic setting for the protagonist’s subtly depicted internal struggle.

Towards the end, a revelation in the story offers a new, unexpected perspective on the man’s situation. Passi and Laine navigate stylishly to the resolution, where emotions and reason grapple. Humor and wisdom are brought into the film, especially through the character played by Tapio Aarre-Ahtio.

Director: Jarkko T. Laine, J-P Passi

Starring:
Matti Laine
Elina Ylisuvanto
Tapio Aarre-Ahtio

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Koirankynnen leikkaaja

Finland pays its war debts. Mertsi Vepsäläinen went to war with a firm intention to save an entire nation, but as a war invalid with a head injury, his entire will is now focused on saving his colleague’s Finnish Spitz, Sakke, from destruction. He embarks on a multi-phased journey that takes him through the harsh winter landscapes of Finland, where war reparations are being paid, to rigorous forestry work, culminating in a dramatic attempt to trim Sakke the dog’s overgrown dewclaws.

Starring:
Peter Franzén
Ahti Kuoppala
Taisto Reimaluoto
Leo Lastumäki

The film splendidly won six Jussi Awards:
Peter Franzén: Best Actor
Markku Pölönen: Best Director
Best Screenplay: Markku Pölönen
Best Cinematography: Kari Sohlberg
Best Film

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Emmauksen tiellä

Rane returns to his hometown after 20 years and faces his memories and choices. The story, accompanied by popular songs, unfolds along the rural roads. The film breaks traditional storytelling by employing meta-cinematic techniques. The actors repeatedly refer to the film’s script, describing their characters and dramatic choices directly to the camera.

Sanna-Kaisa Palo won the Best Supporting Actress Jussi Award.

Starring:
Puntti Valtonen
Peter Franzén
Aake Kalliala

Published:

Badding

A fairytale-like depiction of the shy hero of Finnish rock, Rauli ‘Badding’ Somerjoki, portrays the whirlwind of a sensitive country boy amidst the harsh touring life. According to the director’s own words, the movie ‘is neither true nor false,’ but rather a fantasy that allows for various interpretations. Based on flashback sequences, the narrative begins with moments preceding the aging rock star’s comeback concert. The stage-frightened Badding-Rauli hits the road, fleeing. An old friend, Ossi, becomes Rauli’s chauffeur, although his motives are not entirely sincere. The road to Somero is burdened with memories, but the most crucial element, friendship, is discovered after all.

The film splendidly earned four different Jussi Awards: Best Film, Best Actor (Janne Reinikainen), Best Cinematography (Kari Sohlberg), Best Production Design (Minna Santakari), and Best Costume Design (Tiina Kaukanen).

Starring:
Janne Reinikainen
Peter Franzén
Karoliina Blackburn
Puntti Valtonen

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The Last Wedding

The Last Wedding (orig. Kivenpyörittäjän kylä) is based on Heikki Turunen’s book of the same original name and depicts the final moments of Jerusalem, a village left behind by structural changes, encapsulating the beauty and misery of human life. Pekka returns after a long time to his hometown, the small village of Jerusalem, to celebrate the village’s last wedding. His own marriage seems to have reached a dead end. The village gathers to prepare for this final event, and within a single summer day, the bitter-sweet spectrum of human existence with its joys and sorrows seems to converge.

The film won three Jussi Awards: Best Film, Best Supporting Actor (Matti Varjo), and Best Direction (Markku Pölönen).

Starring:
Martti Suosalo
Jarmo Mäkinen
Henrika Andersson
Esko Nikkari
Rauha Valkonen

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Lyrics and Lace

Directed by Matti Ijäs, this stark comedy portrays itinerant poets and the agony of creation.

In a television interview, Tane Lintunen confesses that instead of finding subjects, a poet stumbles upon them: ‘As my old friend Maestro says – when truth walks towards you, skin it.’

The man embarks on an eventful poetry tour with the debut poet Tomi Rusko (played by Mikko Reitala), who comes from a university background. The poets read their poems and give lectures at various events. Lintunen teaches his colleague to observe women.

Paavo Pentikäinen received the Best Actor Jussi Award for his role.

Starring:
Paavo Pentikäinen
Mikko Reitala
Kristiina Elstelä
Irma Junnilainen

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Spandex Sapiens

The lonely son of a Canadian preacher man, Michael, builds the first professional boxing league far away in Finland. Transgender boxer Jessica joins, competing against Michael both physically and ideologically. Anger and frustration affect Michael, now 40 years old and still seeking a partner. He yearns for love, but first, he must learn not to hate. After finding true love online, Michael redefines his values and reinvents himself as a boxer in love.