Genre: documentary

Published: March 7, 2024

Madam President

In the documentary “Madam President,” we follow the everyday life of Finland’s first female president for nearly a year and a half, up until the end of her term. “Madam President” is a film about Finland, about the president as a leader, and the brisk woman behind the institution.

The production team of the film accompanies President Halonen in Finland and abroad, in cabinets and leisure. The documentary captures the routine and celebration from November 2010 to early March, when President Halonen handed over power to her successor. In “Madam President,” the viewer is present in situations never seen before moments just before significant public events and afterward, journeys and transitions, and all the tasks that constitute the work.

Director:
Aleksi Bardy

Starring:
Tarja Halonen
Pentti Arajärvi
Eila Nevalainen
Heli Sariola

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

Published: February 8, 2024

Paavo, a Life in Five Courses

Finnish farm boy Paavo Turtiainen is hired into the Parisian household of Swedish theatre producer Lars Schmidt and his wife, actress Ingrid Bergman. The couple “adopts” and trains Paavo to navigate among the rich and famous. Later on, Paavo becomes the personal secretary for Schmidt and Bergman. His responsibilities include building up the personal archives of both Schmidt and Bergman. Ms. Bergman’s archives are now at the film archives of Wesleyan University and Schmidt’s archives are in the United States Library of Congress. After Schmidt and Bergman divorce Paavo decides to settle permanently in New York. His first clients are friends of Schmidt: celebrities and business personalities Paavo has met while working in Paris and on Dannholmen, a Swedish island owned by Schmidt. Eventually, Paavo becomes an acclaimed chef and event planner for high society. Along the way, he has learned to stand on his own feet.

Published: February 8, 2024

Kansanvalta

Young poet Laura Eklund Nhaga is seeking meaningful ways to influence the surrounding world. She explores various forms of activism, understanding that each of them can be effective in its own way. Eklund Nhaga moves effortlessly from the steps of the Parliament House to British university poetry nights and to the Capitol. The documentary by Greenlit Productions examines some of the biggest questions of the present moment, such as global change, the rise of populism on social media, and grassroots movements. The film is audio-described. (Source: Yle Areena)

Note: Not available in DVD or Blu-ray format.

Published: January 8, 2024

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.

Published: January 8, 2024

Knucklebonehead

Oscar is 40 years 40-year-old teacher whose Jekyll and Hyde lifestyle starts to cast a shadow on his family life. Just when he is starting to show signs of calming down following the birth of his firstborn, new mortgage, and several visits to a psychiatrist, his manager lures him back into his old life as a rock’n’roll lunatic and to an apocalyptic three-week tour in China.

Published: January 5, 2024

Själö: Island of Souls

For centuries, a closed institution served as a final destination for socially transgressive women at Själö, an isolated island in the Baltic Sea. The outcast women were kept there in detention to be observed, studied, and measured – in much the same way as the scientists now focus on the surrounding nature at the research center the place has been converted to. While a young scientist is collecting samples on the island, the past emerges in the whispers of the unsent letters and empty rooms of the hospital. The space fills up with hidden memories as the invisible archives become alive. Whose stories are remembered and whose are forgotten?

Published: January 4, 2024

Still Into You

Songs of Love paints a picture of mature love in its various forms. The songs and poems performed by Ritva Oksanen intertwine six different stories of love. A freshly married couple bonds over karaoke, passion, and cutting down trees. A widow rebuilds her life after loss. A woman who enjoys life dates a man 20 years her junior and questions if it can be called love. A long-term relationship between two men has endured through hardships and continues despite declining health. Theater director Ritva Oksanen relishes her freedom; she works, lifts weights, and doesn’t want a romantic relationship. A man places his wife, suffering from dementia, in a care facility, knowing that time is running short. Songs of Love is a bold and empowering look at love and aging.

Published: January 4, 2024

Christmas at the Orphanage

The director documents the events leading to a reunion with her estranged father.

The film documentary has been awarded the Future-Jussi Award.

Published: January 2, 2024

Eläinoikeusjuttu

Activists have fought for decades for animal rights. Will they succeed in winning the battle against the meat industry, or is the food industry unstoppable? The movie portrays the structural essence of animal production and the systematic power play through three central characters. They engage in a David-versus-Goliath battle against what seems like an unbeatable industry and are willing to achieve their goals at any cost. The brutal undercover footage captured by activists has caused several international scandals, but will they ultimately succeed in changing anything?

Published: December 27, 2023

Karmapa – Matka maailman katolla

“Karmapa – matka maailman katolla” (transl. “Karmapa – Journey on the Roof of the World”) is a follow-up documentary to “Karmapa – Jumaluuden kaksi tietä” (transl. “Karmapa – The Two Paths of Divinity”. “Journey on the Roof of the World” portrays the moral and motivational conflicts encountered by the creators.

The filming of “Karmapa – The Two Paths of Divinity” spanned three and a half years, during which the intricate work process of the creators was also documented. The filming involving the Karmapa residing in Tibet was conducted in collaboration with the Chinese government, causing the filming permit process to extend over several years.

As the film features appearances by the Dalai Lama and another Karmapa residing in India, the creators had to present a cover story about the film’s content to the Chinese government. Otherwise, the Chinese administration would hardly have approved the film.

This project wasn’t easily acceptable even within the Buddhist world, as the power struggle between the two Karmapas is a sensitive and divisive issue within Buddhism.

(Source: Art Films production)