Playlist: based on true events

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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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Presidentintekijät

Presidentintekijät (The President Makers) is a film about Sauli Niinistö’s presidential campaign. It portrays the core of the campaign team and its operations throughout the campaign until Niinistö is elected as the President of the Republic.

The team works under immense pressure. Decisions must be made constantly. Success is immediately measured in the media and polls. The task is not made easier by the fact that the candidate himself does not participate in the team’s activities or even really support it.

The film progresses from the first campaign team meeting towards the second round of the election. The team’s discussions are surprisingly open and bold. The language they use is direct and unvarnished. Director Tuukka Temonen’s access to the heart of the campaign is unique. Presidentintekijät is a film about politics at its rawest. When time is short, communication is direct. And sometimes, you just have to laugh.

The film depicts the work centered around the Secretary-General of the National Coalition Party, Taru Tujunen, Marketing Director Kirsi Piha, Niinistö’s Special Assistant Mikko Kortelainen, Fundraising Director Hjallis Harkimo, Political Advisor Jussi Kekkonen, and Jenni Haukio, who was responsible for marketing and communications at the beginning of the campaign.

Director:
Tuukka Temonen

Starring:
Sauli Niinistö
Pekka Haavisto
Jenni Haukio
Taru Tujunen

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Aika jonka sain

The movie tells an incredible survival story of a Finnish woman based on true events. Jaana is a restaurateur and mother of two, who spends her free time riding horses. Jaana’s life changes drastically when she becomes paralyzed in a loading accident but manages to get back in the saddle and represent Finland in the Paralympics.

The film won the Audience’s Favorite Movie award at the Jussi Gala in 2021. It was directed by Tuukka Temonen, who also co-wrote the script with Olga Temonen.

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EPUT

EPUT is a film about a giant of Finnish rock, whose music everyone knows, but the stories behind the songs are known by few. The film takes the viewer through the band’s history, starting from their childhood years. Through the film, Eput take the audience to places where cameras have never been allowed before and openly share their history, including its difficult subjects. EPUT is not just a fan film about the band. It is also a touching depiction of brotherhood, as two very different brothers try to fit into the same band. Above all, it is a portrayal of a passionate desire to play, the fierce drive to make music that, in the beginning, overcame even their playing skills.

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Before the Flood

The documentary film follows actor Leonardo DiCaprio on his journey around the world to explore the impacts of climate change and how to combat it. The documentary is directed by Fisher Stevens, and DiCaprio serves as its narrator and guide.

In the film, DiCaprio meets scientists, activists, politicians, and local residents from various parts of the world who share their views and experiences on climate change. He visits melting glaciers, suffering rainforests, and islands threatened by rising sea levels. The documentary also addresses the use of fossil fuels, the potential of renewable energy, and the importance of political decisions in combating climate change.

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Bob Marley: One Love

BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE depicts the life and music of the icon who inspired generations with his message of love and unity. For the first time on the big screen, we see Bob’s compelling story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music.

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Gran Turismo

Marketing Director Danny Moore travels to Japan to propose a very bold experiment to Nissan, one that could open the doors of motorsport to many skilled Gran Turismo video game talents. Nissan’s motorsport division decided to accept the offer and, in collaboration with PlayStation, establishes an annual GT Academy competition camp aimed at selecting the best amateur drivers to compete in professional series. Moore offers former top driver and current mechanic Jack Salter the opportunity to train these simulator players for the challenge.

Meanwhile, teenager Jann Mardenborough, who spends his days racing on the tracks of Gran Turismo video game, aspires to become a racing driver despite disapproval from his former footballer father. Jann is selected for a qualifying race with the prize being entry into the GT Academy. He faces many treacherous turns and demanding challenges before he can pursue his dream.

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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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Monsterimies

The only official documentary film about Lordi, the Finnish national hero, a creative monster genius, who with his band won Finland its first Eurovision title. For the first time in the film, we get behind the scenes, where the band’s frontman Mr. Lordi, Tomi from Rovaniemi, has experienced great success and acceptance from the masses following the victory. Two years later, Lordi has become a commercial brand, but Tomi suffers from a total collapse and is unable to create anew. The pressure to succeed is immense from both fans and the general public.

Will Tomi manage to keep his monster band together and find the joy of childish creation crucial for a new Lordi album amidst difficulties? The film exclusively follows the challenging everyday life of the popular monster band behind the curtains and presents unique, previously unseen archive material from the inception of the monster dream in Tomi’s childhood years.

Tomi swears eternal loyalty to 80s heavy metal and never intends to grow up. The film is about the fervor of creation and the courage to be exactly what one believes in, even if the 1980s heavy metal monster is no longer the trendiest thing in the world.

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Punk – tauti joka ei tapa

The overall tone of the film is as energetic as punk itself. The movie depicts youth, specifically two generations of youth from the 1970s-80s and the present-day punk scenes. We follow a band formed by four young people from the Tampere region, witnessing their journey through gigs, successes, and setbacks. The film features both old and new punk music, along with intriguing archival footage from the early days of punk veterans. “Punk – A Disease That Doesn’t Kill” is a compelling and engaging documentary about Finnish punk, entertaining yet not toothless or bland.

Director:
Jouko Aaltonen

Starring:
Andy McCoy
Severi Helle
Pelle Miljoona
Pantse Syrjä

Note: The documentary is no longer available on Blu-ray or DVD.