March 28/30
Täällä pohjan tähden alla
(Under the North Star), 2009, 181
minutes, K-13.
Based on Väinö Linna’s
epic novel of the tumultuous period of
Finnish history in the early 20th
Century, this film limns the
accelerating conflict between rural poor
and landed gentry with the spread of
socialism. The length of this film is
more than justified by its content.
April 25/27
Princessa
(Princess), 2010, 97 minutes, K-11.
Anna Lappalainen, a.k.a
the Princess, spent more than 50 years
of her life in mental institutions, yet
managed to heal the community around her
with her sense of humor and
positiveness. Based on a true story.
May 23/25
Napapiirin sankarit
(Lapland Odyssey), 2010, 92 minutes,
K-11.
Janne, a man from
Lapland, has made a career out of living
on welfare. When his girlfriend, Inari,
threatens to leave him, he embarks on an
adventure to save his relationship. Part
comedy and part road movie, this film
showcases Lapland and the Finnish man’s
soul.
June 27/29
Kahlekuningas
(Handcuff King), 2002, 89 minutes, K-7.
Two boys in Tornio – one
Finnish, the other Swedish – decide to
try to emulate the feats of their hero,
Harry Houdini. The world of boyhood
imagination is juxtaposed against the
harsh realities of in northern Finland
in the 1970s. There is humor aplenty to
offset the pain of growing up.
September 26/28
Kiellety hedelmä
(Forbidden Fruit), 2009, 98 minutes,
K-11.
A teenage girl from a rural Laestadian
community decides to break out and test
her freedom
in Helsinki. Another girl
is sent to look out for her. The results
may run counter to viewer expectations.
Directed by Dome Karukoski from a script
by Aleksi Bardy.
October 24-26
Kohtaamisa
(Heatbeats), 2010, 86 minutes, K-7.
Honored with six Jussi
nominations, this film about the
intersecting lives of a variety of women
in the ”new” Finland, deftly deals with
issues of aging, generational division,
racism, reconciliation and friendship.
Excellent performances. Definitely not
for women only.
November 28/30
Tuntematon emäntä
The Unknown Woman), 2011, 79 minutes, K-13.
With 75 per cent of the farm work force on the front during the Winter and Continuation Wars, much of the labor had to be performed by women. This documentary salute to those heroic women comes just before the annual celebration of Finnish independence.
December 26/28
Myrsky
(Stormheart), 2008, 96 minutes, K-7.
During the autumn of 1989 in East
Berlin, the father of a Finnish family,
visiting the crumbling Berlin Wall,
rescues a cute puppy and takes him home.
Soon enough, the little puppy grows into
a giant, who does whatever it takes to
protect his loved ones. Good holiday
fare for the family.