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Eläville ja kuolleille

The family’s younger son has died in an accident in the yard of their home. Those left behind try to find a way forward amidst their grief. While the mother mourns inconsolably, it falls to the father to take care of the family’s daily routines. The surviving son feels that he has lost not only his little brother but also his parents. The lack of understanding from those around them makes the family’s situation more difficult, and alongside the heavy loss, earlier, unresolved, and unspoken griefs begin to surface.

The film begins the day after the accident and quietly and compassionately follows an ordinary Finnish family’s recovery during the first year of mourning. Gradually, the loss transforms the family’s seemingly unchanged daily life. Themes such as grief and the inability to grieve, the different ways and timing in which men, women, and children mourn, and the surrounding community’s need to forget and carry on “as if nothing had happened” are some of the key elements in this fundamentally hopeful film.

The film is based on a true series of events that took place in 1986 in Pietarsaari, and the screenplay was written in close collaboration with the family who lost their child.

Director:
Kari Paljakka

Starring:
Hannu-Pekka Björkman
Katja Küttner
Johannes Paljakka
Risto Salmi

Hannu-Pekka Björkman won the Jussi Award for Best Actor.

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Juha

Juha (Sakari Kuosmanen) and Marja (Kati Outinen) live together happily and innocently like children until a serpent sneaks into their paradise in the form of Shemeikka (André Wilms). Juha is based on the famous novel by Juhani Aho. It is also the last silent film of the 20th century. The music for the film was composed by Anssi Tikanmäki.

Director:
Aki Kaurismäki

Starring:
Sakari Kuosmanen
Kati Outinen
André Wilms
Markku Peltola

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La vie de bohème

Aki Kaurismäki’s adaptation of Henri Murger’s novel Scènes de la vie de bohème, filmed in France and in French, tells the story of three artists – Albanian painter Rodolfo (Matti Pellonpää), writer Marcel Marx (André Wilms), and composer Schaunard (Kari Väänänen) – and their struggles and friendship amidst the complexities of the bohemian artist’s life and poverty. Rodolfo falls in love with Mimi (Evelyne Didi), but is later deported when his residence permit expires. Later, Rodolfo returns illegally and reunites with Mimi, but the often harsh realities of bohemian life continue to challenge their romance. Mimi falls gravely ill, and the three artists do everything they can to raise the money needed for her care. During a visit to Mimi in the hospital, she asks Rodolfo to go outside and pick some flowers. When Rodolfo returns to the room, Mimi has already passed away. Rodolfo informs his waiting friends outside that he wants to be alone and walks away.

Director:
Aki Kaurismäki

Starring:
Matti Pellonpää
André Wilms
Kari Väänänen

The film won the 2007 Jussi Award for Best Direction.

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Kauas pilvet karkaavat

The first part of Aki Kaurismäki’s Finland Trilogy, Drifting Clouds, dedicated to the memory of Matti Pellonpää, tells the story of head waitress Ilona (Kati Outinen) and her husband Lauri (Kari Väänänen), who works as a tram driver. Both suddenly lose their jobs and are forced to rebuild their lives and social dignity from scratch. The resilient couple eventually decides to open their own restaurant with the help of their friends, and after many challenges, their shared dream becomes a reality. The opening night is filled with tension as they await their first customers, who soon start to arrive. Their risky venture succeeds. The happy Lauri and Ilona step outside in front of their restaurant with their family dog and look up at the sky, where the clouds drift freely.

Director:
Aki Kaurismäki

Starring:
Kati Outinen
Kari Väänänen
Elina Salo

The film won Jussi Awards for Best Direction, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, and Film of the Year.

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Laitakaupungin valot

In the modern industrial setting of Ruoholahti, Koistinen (Janne Hyytiäinen), a lonely man working as a night watchman, is relentlessly bullied by his coworkers. He dreams of starting his own business and shares this aspiration with Aila (Maria Heiskanen), who runs a sausage stand by the waterfront. Unbeknownst to Koistinen, Aila harbors deeper feelings for him.

One day, Koistinen meets Mirja (Maria Järvenhelmi), who is secretly working for the criminal boss Lindström (Ilkka Koivula). Mirja pretends to be infatuated with Koistinen, but at the opportune moment, she drugs him and steals his keyring to assist Lindström and his gang in robbing a diamond store. Koistinen refuses to implicate Mirja and is sentenced to two years in prison.

After his release, Koistinen tries to rebuild his life from almost nothing. By chance, he encounters Mirja and Lindström in a restaurant. Seeking revenge for the betrayal, he later attacks Lindström with a knife, but is subdued by the gangster’s henchmen. Lindström spares his life, though Koistinen is beaten nearly to death and left on the shore. Aila hears of his condition and finds him, bloodied and lying on the ground. ‘I won’t die from this,’ Koistinen promises her as their hands meet for the first time. (Text by Lauri Timonen)

Director:
Aki Kaurismäki

Starring:
Janne Hyytiäinen
Maria Järvenhelmi
Maria Heiskanen
Ilkka Koivula

The film won the 2007 Jussi Awards for Best Film, Best Cinematography, and Best Set Design.

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Hella W

Everyone is familiar with the characters from the Niskavuori plays, but the tempestuous life story of the playwright Hella Wuolijoki is less well known. She negotiated peace during the Winter War, was sentenced to life imprisonment for treason during the Continuation War, but was pardoned after the signing of the Armistice. The very next year, following her release, she became the director of the Finnish Broadcasting Company and later entered Parliament. Screenwriter Outi Nyytäjä and director Juha Wuolijoki’s joint exploration of Hella Wuolijoki’s past brings the story of the famous playwright, politician, and businesswoman to a wider audience.

Director:
Juha Wuolijoki

Starring:
Tiina Weckström
Hannu-Pekka Björkman
Matleena Kuusniemi

The film won the 2012 Jussi Awards for Best Set Design and Best Costume Design.

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

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How to Fix the World

How to Fix the World is a comprehensive and informative documentary about direct action in the 1990s and 2000s, directed by Jouko Aaltonen. In the documentary, anarchists, climate activists, and squatters openly share their experiences and link them to mainstream societal issues. Extensive archival material sheds light on the continuum of direct action in Finnish society. What do the free city, community, and agency mean? The documentary extensively explores various forms of citizen movements, from squatting to riots and nonviolent civil disobedience. The film portrays critiques of global capitalism, opposition to the discrimination of the Roma population, the downfall of the Stop the Graffiti movement, and today’s climate movement.

Note: The documentary is available only on Yle Areena; no physical copies are in distribution.

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How to Please

Iraqi Wed Al-Asad becomes stuck in the Finnish asylum system. He does his best to fulfill the desires of the machine-like labyrinth, but soon realizes that the only thing harder than getting in is getting out.

Note: The documentary is only available on Yle Areena; no physical copies are in distribution.

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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire continues the MonsterVerse series. In the film, Kong discovers members of his species in Hollow Earth and encounters the dangerous Skar King, who seeks to freeze the world. Godzilla, Kong, and Mothra join forces to stop this new threat. The movie delivers epic monster battles and focuses on teamwork to confront a greater danger.

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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) is a direct sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The movie follows the Spengler family and the original Ghostbusters as they reunite to combat a new supernatural threat in New York City. This time, the city is at risk of being plunged into a second ice age after the discovery of a cursed artifact that unleashes an ancient evil. Directed by Gil Kenan, the film stars Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace, and Finn Wolfhard, with original cast members like Bill Murray returning.