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Lentäjien sotaa

The War of Pilots is a documentary film about the wartime efforts of Finnish pilots. It began with rudimentary planes derided as “flying looms,” progressed to dogfights in clumsy Fokkers, and reached the celebrated “Pearls of the Sky” Brewsters, which made an impression with their mere sound. The nimble Blenheim bomber, a marvel of the Winter War, aged into a museum piece during the war years. Yet even it, nicknamed “Tin Heikki,” was sent into the Lapland War against German anti-aircraft defenses.

Let’s not forget the mechanics who serviced the planes under tarps in -40°C weather, pumping fuel from barrels through lambskin chamois filters.

Romanssi

A thirty-something commitment-phobe, Lia (Elina Reinikka), runs into a man (Juha Lagström) on the street who starts reminiscing about moments they shared ten years ago. However, Lia cannot recall the events, and the man refuses to reveal what happened back then. He invites Lia to dinner, during which she must, under the guise of a playful game, piece together their shared past. Lia confesses to her sister (Hanna Manu) that ten years ago, she experienced “love at first sight” with a pianist she met at her favorite hangout. However, her then-boyfriend ruined the moment, and the pianist disappeared. Lia admits that she has been waiting for that man ever since.

Published: December 23, 2024

Punapanssarit ja poltettu kylä, Punapanssarit Suomen sodissa ja rauhassa

Two Documentaries About Wartime Finland, available in DVD.

Burned Village – Three Stories of War and Reconciliation:
Burned Village tells the personal stories of Hilja Kuosku and Tyyne Martikainen from Savukoski and Hemmi Seppänen from Suomussalmi, based on their experiences with Soviet partisans during the Winter War and Continuation War in the villages along Finland’s northern eastern border. For decades, these stories were either voluntarily silenced or suppressed by the state. In recent years, these experiences have begun to be documented, shedding light on the trauma people endured during the war. Efforts have also been made to understand why the Soviet Union conducted such brutal partisan operations in Finland.

Red Tanks in Finland’s Wars and Peace:
Red Tanks is a story of the Soviet tanks familiar to Finnish war veterans. These tanks were used against Finnish forces on the frontlines but, through war spoils, significant numbers were also repurposed for Finnish use. The story of Soviet tanks did not end with the peace treaty; their use continued for many years in “peaceful tasks.” In the program, war veterans and postwar tank operators share their experiences from the battlefields and tank training during the postwar period in the Soviet Union.

Rusinoita pullassa: Vihreät sisaret sotilaskotityössä vuodesta 1918

The Green Sisters have been serving in military canteens since 1918. Every Finnish conscript and veteran of the last wars appreciates the military canteen, whose over 90-year history is now, for the first time, brought to a wider audience in the form of a video documentary. In the documentary, about ten sisters who served during the Winter and Continuation Wars recall their experiences and anecdotes from their work with military canteens during both wartime and peacetime.

Regarding the wartime years, the documentary sheds light on a rarely discussed topic: women in active war zones. Few people know that the Military Canteen Organization is the oldest continuously operating national defense organization in Finland. Military canteen sisters contribute nearly 200,000 hours of voluntary work annually to support conscripts, bringing warmth and comfort to garrisons, camps, and military exercises.

While comparing wartime and peacetime military canteen work is challenging, the friendly smile of a sister behind the counter and the scent of freshly baked buns and coffee have remained unchanged since the founding of the military canteen.

Marraskuun harmaa valo

A man attempting a bank robbery flees to a large hotel located in the center of Tallinn. In the process, he has accidentally killed a bank clerk and forces his way into the room of a Finnish businessman—a cynical and disillusioned man dissatisfied with his life. After the situation calms down, the businessman’s wife tries to persuade him to return to Finland, fearing the situation will end badly for him. However, the businessman chooses to stay in Tallinn and begins a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the local police and the mafia, who also become entangled in the events.

Nousukausi

The story takes a wealthy thirty-something couple from Espoo, Katri and Janne, on an “adventure trip” into the life of the unemployed in the Jakomäki district of Helsinki. Their role-playing takes an unexpected turn, and their relationships, both as a couple and with friends, are tested when they realize they have been deceived.

The film won the following Jussi Awards: Best Screenplay, Best Music, and Film of the Year.

Santa Buddies

When Puppy Paws, the fun-loving son of Santa Paws, gets bored, he finds Budderball on Santa’s naughty list and figures he’s just the dog to show him how to be an ordinary pup. When the magical Christmas Icicle starts to melt however, and the world begins to forget the true meaning of the season, it’s up to Puppy Paws and his newfound Buddies to journey back to the North Pole and save Christmas.