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Sukunsa viimeinen

“The Last of the Line” tells the story of change, upbringing, and the theft of identity. Set on the Jamal Peninsula during the Soviet era, the film is based on true events in director Anastasia Lapsui’s childhood environment.

A young Nenets girl named Neko is forcibly taken from her home to a boarding school in a Russian village against her will. Forced into a foreign culture and new customs, Neko rebels against Russification and becomes the target of bullying by her classmates and scrutiny from her teachers. Together with a Nenets boy from the same school, Neko escapes to return to the safety of her own family and familiar customs. However, their escape across the wintry tundra is short-lived, and the inevitable return to school and new Russian life is unavoidable.

The film’s story is told through the memories of an elderly Neko. School has taught her much new knowledge, and Russian culture has become a natural part of her. But something important has permanently changed; as the last representative of her family, Neko has grown estranged from her own roots and lost the ability to continue her family’s age-old traditions.

Directors:
Markku Lehmuskallio and Anastasia Lapsui

Starring:
Aleksandra Okotetto
Nadezhda Pyrerko
Anastasia Lapsui
Jevgeni Hudi

Published:

Vuosisadan häät

“The Wedding of the Century” is a comedy where the groom’s former partner takes center stage at the wedding. Celebrity psychiatrist Viima Von Ausgezeichnet, known from television and enjoying fame, is at the center of his own life but secretly experiences loneliness. When his former partner gets married, Viima must find a high-profile companion for the wedding to show that everything is going well for him. His search for a companion in the Helsinki night between Friday and Sunday is filled with expensive wines and unpleasant hangovers. However, anyone could land the role of their dreams as Viima’s escort – and unforgettable wedding of the century awaits.

Director:
Marja Pyykkö

Starring:
Outi Mäenpää
Mikko Leppilampi
Matleena Kuusniemi

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Dogs Don’t Wear Pants

“Dogs Don’t Wear Pants” is a poignant and stark love story about the encounter between Juha (Pekka Strang) and Mona (Krista Kosonen) in the world of BDSM. Visually striking, J-P Valkeapää’s direction encompasses intense emotions and unexpected, dark humor.

Single father Juha lives as if in a dream, a prisoner of his past. Everything changes when he meets a peculiar woman, dominatrix Mona. A compelling connection sparks between Mona and Juha. Beyond the mundane, they have their world where Mistress Mona brings Juha’s suppressed emotions to life with violent means. Despite the pain, Juha desires more and goes further. Will this dangerous journey lead to ruin or enlightenment?

Highly acclaimed by the international press, the film has achieved unprecedented success at festivals worldwide. Premiering at Cannes Director’s Fortnight, “Dogs Don’t Wear Pants” has been showcased at various international film festivals including Karlovy Vary, Toronto, Busan, and London. Garnering recognition with numerous awards and distributed to theaters in 25 countries, “Dogs Don’t Wear Pants” has been widely praised and acclaimed.

Director: J-P Valkeapää

Starring:
Krista Kosonen
Pekka Strang
Ilona Huhta
Jani Volanen

The film brilliantly won six Jussi Awards:
Best Actor (Pekka Strang)
Best Cinematography (Pietari Peltola)
Best Music (Michal Nejtek)
Best Sound Design (Micke Nyström)
Best Editing (Mervi Junkkonen)
Best Makeup Design (Aija Beata Rjabovska)

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Veljeni vartija

Veljeni vartija tells the story of Jare and Jere Tiihonen, twin boys from a broken family where violence is a learned norm from their father. Known as tough guys in their youth in Lahti, the brothers take different paths. Jare seeks street credibility and succeeds in the Finnish rap scene, creating an alter ego – Cheek. Jere ends up behind bars for assault and promises to end the cycle of violence. Jere settles down and starts a family. As Cheek’s popularity grows, Jare experiences a tearing conflict: should he remain the streetwise and selfish artist Cheek, or become the caring boyfriend spending safe, normal life with his beloved Noora. Jare’s inner turmoil eventually finds an explanation – bipolar disorder – and the solution lies in psychiatric medication. What does it take to break all expectations or curses and take control of one’s life?

Director:
JP Siili

Starring:
Antti Holma
Armi Toivanen
Saga Sarkola
Alina Tomnikov

The film won the Audience Choice Jussi Award.

Published:

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:

Wonka

The movie tells the story of Willy Wonka’s youth before he became the genius of the chocolate industry. He has endless ideas and is determined to change the world one delicious bite at a time, while also proving that the best things in life start with a dream.

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Gloriously Wasted

Juha Berg is a 30-year-old alcoholic from Kallio, Helsinki. Juha has no intention whatsoever of changing his lifestyle – quite the opposite. He thoroughly enjoys random sexual encounters, adrenaline-pumping violence, and of course, alcohol, for which he scrapes together money even by collecting bottles. However, his alcohol-fueled fun faces stiff competition when passionate Juha falls in love with the group leader of the AA meeting.

Santtu Karvonen won the Jussi Award: Best Supporting Actor.

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Missä kuljimme kerran

Based on Kjell Westö’s Finlandia Prize-winning novel, the film explores humanity and love amidst the upheavals of the nation.

Early 20th-century Helsinki is essentially two cities: the idyllic world of the wealthy upper class and the slum quarters of the poor laborers. The story spans decades, illustrating how time, place, and social class both bring people together and drive them apart.

Independent and curious, Lucie (Jessica Grabowsky) refuses to conform to the mold of upper-class women. Her childhood friend, the photographer Eccu (Jakob Öhrman), passionately loves the wild and eccentric Lucie, but his heart belongs to Allu (Andreas af Enehielm), a young working-class football hero.

The film also features Allu’s father, Enok (Elmer Bäck), Lucie’s politically fervent brother Cedi (Oskar Pöysti), the humanist observer Ivar Grandell (Niklas Groundstroem), and other beloved characters from the novel.

Director:
Peter Lindholm

Starring:
Jakob Öhrman
Jessica Grabowsky
Andreas af Enehielm
Oskar Pöysti

Published:

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:

The Creator

In the future, amidst a war raging between humanity and artificial intelligence forces, Joshua, a hardened former special forces agent grieving the loss of his wife, is recruited to track down and destroy the Creator, who resides in an unknown location. The Creator has developed an advanced artificial intelligence and a mystical weapon capable of ending the war—and potentially wiping out humanity altogether. Joshua and his elite team of soldiers penetrate enemy lines, venturing deep into the dark, AI-controlled territories. However, it soon becomes apparent that the target of the destruction order is a small child, posing a threat to the world.