Subject: finnish

Published: May 19, 2023

Where the Crawdads Sing

Kya Clark is an abandoned girl who grew up independently in the unsafe swamps of North Carolina in the 1950s. Because she grew up in dangerous and challenging circumstances, she learned to take care of herself.

Kya gets to know two of the village’s golden boys, and when one of them is found dead, Kya becomes a suspect because she had the most contact with the deceased. It doesn’t help that Kya has gained a reputation as a hermit in town. As the investigation progresses, the secrets of the swamp are in danger of being revealed.

The film is based on Delia Owens’ debut novel “Where the Crawdads Sing”, which has sold millions around the world.

Published: May 16, 2023

Karaokeparatiisi

Karaokeparatiisi, awarded as the best documentary film of the year, is about Finnish karaoke culture. The film interviews five different people and describes how they live with karaoke.

Published: May 11, 2023

Le Havre

A small African boy ends up in the French port city of Le Havre in a shipping container full of other refugees. The boy manages to escape and while hiding from the authorities, he meets a shoe polisher who wants to help the boy get to his destination: London to his mother. At the same time, the shoe polisher’s wife is diagnosed with a serious illness.

The film won a remarkable six Jussi awards: Best Film, Best Direction, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

Published: May 10, 2023

Diva of Finland

Diva of Finland tells the story of Henna, a Finn who has just graduated high school and hopes to get out of her small town as soon as possible and create a music career. Around the time of Henna’s birthday, the beautiful and talented Silja moves in next door, who makes Henna so blind with envy that she temporarily loses sight.

Published: May 3, 2023

Star Boys (Kaiken se kestää)

Star Boys (Kaiken se kestää) tells the story of a family from Oulu in the 1970s, which has three generations. The events are described through the youngest of the family, two adolescent boys. They are at a stage where the boys are also looking for their own identity. Parents try to raise their children without the old ways of their parents, but as a result, the children’s development is at risk. The story nicely describes how parents are also vulnerable and individuals who make wrong decisions. The father of the family (Tapio) has a secret affair with the mother of a family acquaintance.

Published: May 2, 2023

A Summer by the River (Kuningasjätkä)

A Summer by the River (Kuningasjätkä) takes place in Eastern Finland in the 1950s around the events of log swimming. The father in the story loses his wife – and only father and son remain. The father (Tenho) goes with his son (Simon) for the summer to prune trees, where the work and the workers are merciless. The film beautifully depicts Finland’s summer nature, and there is also a bit of love involved when Tenho finds a new interesting woman.

The film won a fantastic five Jussi awards in the following categories: Film of the Year, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Direction, and Best Screenplay.

Published: March 30, 2023

Sokkotanssi

In the movie Sokkotanssi (Trans. Blind Dance), the 60s are lived in a small Finnish town by the sea. Another of the main actors is a boy named Jontti. He is a very curious child who finds out about his father’s secret relationship with another woman. Jontti’s best friend from the neighborhood is Länki, who misses his father who lives out of reach. These aspects of life put a lot of pressure on the boys’ minds, which makes them do all kinds of naughtiness.

The film has well-known Finnish actors. Jontti’s father is Martti Suoaho, Pirkka-Pekka Petelius plays a barber and Vesa-Matti Loiri plays an alcoholic citizen in a small supporting role. Movie uses subtle humor, but also drama.

The film won the Jussi award for best screenplay.

Published: March 30, 2023

Lady Time

The documentary tells the story of Sirkka-Liisa Miettinen, who died at the age of 98 in Helsinki’s Kisakylä and had no relatives. Elina Talvensaari, who is the director of the film, was inspired to make that film when she bought Sirkka-Liisa’s apartment by chance. The apartment came with all of Sirkka-Liisa’s personal belongings, down to the smallest item. The director did not want to put the items directly into the disposal, because then even the last grains of information about Sirkka-Liisa would have been lost. Elina wanted to remember Sirkka-Liisa, so the idea for Lady Time came from this.

Published: March 29, 2023

Super Furball

A young girl named Emilia gets superpowers from being bitten by her pet guinea pig, which come in handy when the herrings of the Baltic Sea rise up in rebellion to save the sea from pollution. The film is based on the book series “Emilia’s diaries” and more specifically on the book “Supermarsu saves the herrings”, written by Paula Noronen. The book in question was nominated for the Finlandia junior prize in 2009.

The educational material of the school cinema deals with superheroes, writing a diary, bullying at school, social relations in the class, the Baltic Sea and its species, and conservation. The learning material is aimed at primary schools and primary education.

Published: March 28, 2023

Härmä

Härmä is about 19th-century “knife junkies” (Orig. puukkojunkkarit) in Ostrobothnia, Finland. One family’s farm is about to be inherited by Esko, the eldest of the brothers, but the father decides against strong traditions to bequeath the farm to the firstborn and give it to Matti. This causes a quarrel between the brothers. Matti is secretly engaged to the woman next door, Aino, and Esko starts chasing her too as his own.