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The Old Oak

According to Ken Loach, his latest film encapsulates the overarching societal themes of the award-winning director’s entire career. When Syrian refugees are housed in a former mining town in England, emotions begin to boil over at the only remaining pub in the declining village, The Old Oak. The incoming refugees fleeing from war are seen as a threat by the locals, who already have plenty of their own problems. However, young Yara, who dreams of becoming a photographer, befriends the pub’s landlord, TJ. Slowly, people from different walks of life start finding their way to the same table.

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The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Harold Fry is an ordinary man who has made mistakes in all the important aspects of life: as a husband, father, and friend. Now, well into his sixties, he resigns himself quietly to fading into the background of life. One day, Harold hears that his old friend Queenie is dying. Harold leaves home and walks to the post office to send her a letter. On a whim, Harold decides to continue walking all the way to Queenie’s hospice, which is 450 kilometers away.

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Bros

Two men perhaps possibly, probably, stumble towards love. Maybe. They are both really busy.

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Kerron sinulle kaiken

Maarit (played by Leea Klemola) is going through a major transition in life, as she recently underwent gender reassignment surgery and corrected her gender to female. However, Maarit must navigate the pitfalls of her past to move forward in life. She wants to reconcile with her ex-wife, build a relationship with her teenage daughter, and help other people. Maarit also longs to share the joys, sorrows, and her bed with someone. When Maarit meets Sami (played by Peter Franzén), who is struggling with a marital crisis, at the psychiatrist’s office, she believes she has found the right one.

Director:
Simo Halinen

Starring:
Leea Klemola
Peter Franzén
Ria Kataja
Emmi Nivala

The film was awarded the Jussi Award for Best Screenplay and Best Leading Actress.

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Väärät juuret

The father of the Kuura family, Mikko, has been diagnosed with a hereditary disease. He has not been able to come to terms with it or discuss it. As his condition worsens, his wife Mirjami has decided that it’s time to tell the children.

Sakari, Mikko’s son from a previous marriage, has been abroad for years. He has fled from his father and his demands to continue the family business. Pihla, the family’s 15-year-old daughter, wants to start her own independent life, and Lumi, the daughter adopted from China, begins a secret journey to find her own roots. Mikko’s illness brings the members of the Kuura family together under the same roof for the first time, forcing them to address questions of family continuity and to open up about long-standing issues within the family.

What will remain of us? Clothes wear out in a few years. Dishes are kept until the next move. Furniture breaks or goes out of style. A pile of memories – they last until no one remembers anymore.

Director:
Saara Saarela

Starring:
Milka Ahlroth
Pertti Sveholm
Silva Robbins
Niko Saarela

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

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Ompelijatar

The movie tells the story of how the life of a poor, semi-deaf woman leads to an inevitable conclusion in early independent Finland. She was arrested as a member of the Red Guard women’s company in 1918 and sentenced to a prison camp. Since then, she has been marked as “classified as dangerous to society.” In the 1920s, she was actively involved in leftist youth associations in Helsinki, led a literary committee, and writes for organization newsletters.

The state police have all the rights to intervene in radical activities; the unity of the nation must be ensured by any means necessary. In the early 1930s, communist activities are banned by law, and accordingly, paranoia increases. The State Police monitor and report on the lives of thousands of people. The distinction between treason and heroism becomes blurred.

Martta Koskinen never makes a fuss about herself, but she is reported several times. She meets Hertta Kuusinen in prison, which leads her to the circles of the intelligentsia. She works diligently as a seamstress, among others for the writer Hella Wuolijoki. She always helps her juniors to the best of her abilities and during the Continuation War, she assists conscientious objectors, compromising her own modest standard of living.

She becomes a messenger for the underground resistance movement, whose activities are almost non-existent, largely due to the mutual squabbling of a small circle. She hides a leading communist figure, Hertta Kuusinen’s fiancé, Yrjö Leino. When caught, she refuses to reveal anything.

Martta Koskinen is seen as a traitor, a spy, an enemy collaborator. To some, she is a prisoner of conscience, a dissident, a pacifist.

“The Seamstress” is a human rights story from 70 years ago and at the same time a story of young Finland.

Director:
Ville Suhonen

Starring:
Vera Kiiskinen
Laura Birn
Elena Leeve
Pekka Milonoff

The film was awarded the Best Documentary Film Jussi Award.

Note: Not available on DVD or Blu-ray distribution.

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Nimby

The events kick off when the urbanized Mervi takes her girlfriend Kati to the countryside to visit her parents for the first time. Mervi is worried that her parents will have a hard time accepting the couple – especially since Kati’s mother is Iranian and her father is German – but it turns out that Mervi herself has a lot more to digest once they arrive. The parents’ peculiar, open relationship, Mervi’s ex-boyfriend involved with neo-Nazis, her semi-religious godparents, and the conflicts arising from the refugees who have moved to the area don’t exactly make the visit easier.

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The Color Purple

Separated from her sister and children, Celie faces numerous hardships, including an aggressive husband. With the support of a singer and her stepdaughter, she ultimately finds exceptional strength in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood. The musical film is based on Alice Walker’s novel of the same name and features performers such as Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. The songs in the musical blend jazz, R&B, and blues, adding their atmosphere to the film.

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The Call of the Wild

“The Call of the Wild” is an adventure film released in 2020, based on Jack London’s novel of the same name. The movie follows the story of a dog named Buck, who is taken from California to the Alaskan wilderness to become a member of a dog sled team. Buck must adapt to harsh conditions and find his place within the pack. Along the way, he befriends John Thornton, who teaches him important life lessons. The film provides a modern interpretation of Jack London’s classic and highlights its timeless themes. Starring Harrison Ford and Terry Notary in lead roles.

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Raiders of the Lost Ark

“Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” is an adventure film released in 1981, directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by George Lucas. The movie follows the adventures of the archaeologist Indiana Jones as he tries to find the legendary archaeological treasure before it falls into the wrong hands, especially the Nazis’. The film combines action, adventure, historical mysteries, and humor. It became a huge success and a cult classic. Harrison Ford portrays the lead role of Indiana Jones, and the movie’s iconic scene where Indy dodges a large boulder is one of the most famous moments in film history.

The film won four Academy Awards:
Best Sound Editing – Richard L. Anderson, Ben Burtt
Best Visual Effects – Richard Edlund, Kit West, Bruce Nicholson, Joe Johnston
Best Sound Mixing – Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker, Roy Charman
Best Editing – Michael Kahn