Genre: romance

Published: March 13, 2024

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: March 7, 2024

Pihalla

“Pihalla” is a romantic dramedy about young adults – women and men, relationships and community, career pressures, and cultural encounters. Laura is a German housewife who moves to Finland with her husband for his job. At first, everything is difficult. Laura’s husband, Arto, is chronically busy with work, making it impossible to get to know people, and November in Tampere doesn’t show its best sides. By chance, Laura is mistaken for a single mother, she makes friends in a single-parent support group and gets to know Tero, who organizes music sessions for children in a nearby playground. As Laura’s relationship with Tero progresses, she starts to feel more comfortable in her new hometown.

Director:
Toni Laine

Starring:
Sibel Kekilli
Mikko Leppilampi
Teemu Palosaari
Sanna-June Hyde

Published: February 22, 2024

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: February 22, 2024

The Prince of Soap

Ilona is a penniless amateur actor who, due to a misunderstanding, ends up working for the scriptwriting team of a soap opera. At the company’s party, she falls for the lead actor of the series, Kalle, and begins writing scenes based on the existing situation. The series producer, Raakel, becomes jealous of Kalle, and soon Ilona and Raakel engage in a battle for the heart of the leading star through the script. In this whirlwind, Kalle’s reality and the series intertwine, and the soap opera is ready! It’s outrageously funny!

Starring:
Pamela Tola
Mikko Leppilampi
Outi Mäenpää
Teijo Eloranta

Published: February 13, 2024

David and Bathsheba

The movie tells the Old Testament story of David and Bathsheba. The film focuses specifically on David’s sin when he falls for Bathsheba, who is the wife of one of his soldiers and follows the consequences it brings.

Gregory Peck portrays David, and Susan Hayward portrays Bathsheba. The film faithfully follows the biblical narrative and examines the relationship between David and Bathsheba as well as David’s internal struggle with sin and redemption. The movie also addresses religious themes such as forgiveness, redemption, and the meaning of faith.

The film has become known as a classic Bible-based movie that explores religious themes and human destinies.

Published: February 8, 2024

Tyttö sinä olet tähti

The Perfect Daughter of the Perfect Family, Nelli, dreams of a singing career, even though her parents hope for her to become a doctor. Nelli seeks the help of Sunne, a hip-hop DJ who fears women but is unwavering when it comes to his music. However, their shared passion for music brings these talented young individuals closer than either of them intended – setting the stage for a critically acclaimed romantic comedy.

The film won the following Jussi Awards:

Best Music: Jukka Immonen
Best Film: Aleksi Bardy, Riina Hyytiä, Olli Haikka, and Dome Karukoski

Published: February 8, 2024

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: January 9, 2024

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

Published: January 4, 2024

Odotus

Thirty-something Elli lives in an idyllic and secluded archipelago with her husband Mikko as the pandemic spreads worldwide. Elli’s life is shaken when her teenage love, Olavi, Mikko’s old college friend, arrives for a visit from France.

Published: December 29, 2023

Täällä Pohjantähden alla II

Artista Filmi Oy produced two feature films based on Väinö Linna’s ‘Under the North Star’ novels. The books constitute the Northern Star trilogy, narrating the realistic and humane story of the Koskela family. It traces the life of ordinary individuals amidst the significant European changes from the late 1800s to the Second World War, encompassing Finland’s independence and the Civil War. The narrative also focuses on the love story of Akseli Koskela and Elina Kivivuori. The book series was published between 1959 and 1962.