Tom of Finland (2017)

Award-winning filmmaker Dome Karukoski brings to screen the life and work of one of the most influential and celebrated figures of twentieth century gay culture.

Director:

Dome Karukoski

Writers:

Noam Andrews (Additional Storylines), Aleksi Bardy (screenplay)

Stars:

Jakob Oftebro, Werner Daehn, Jimmy Shaw

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jakob Oftebro	...	Jack
Werner Daehn	...	Müller
Jimmy Shaw	...	Policeman
Lauri Tilkanen	...	Veli
Jessica Grabowsky	...	Kaija
Pekka Strang	...	Touko Laaksonen aka Tom of Finland
Þorsteinn Bachmann	...	Editor of the Physic Pictorial Office
Kari Hietalahti	...	Sahlin
Leif Edlund	...	Moustache Man
Jan Böhme	...	Tom's man
Seumas F. Sargent	...	Doug
Siim Maaten	...	Russian Paratrooper
Taisto Oksanen	...	Alijoki
Amelia Hoy	...	Nurse
Jan Lindwall	...	Businessman

Storyline

Touko Laaksonen, a decorated officer, returns home after a harrowing and heroic experience serving his country in World War II, but life in Finland during peacetime proves equally distressing. He finds peace-time Helsinki rampant with persecution of the homosexual and men around him even being pressured to marry women and have children. Touko finds refuge in his liberating art, specializing in homoerotic drawings of muscular men, free of inhibitions. His work - made famous by his signature 'Tom of Finland' - became the emblem of a generation of men and fanned the flames of a gay revolution.

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Plot Keywords:

male rear nudity | male frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

Elokuva rohkeudesta, rakkaudesta ja vapaudesta.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Finland Sweden Denmark Germany USA

Language:

Finnish German English

Release Date:

24 February 2017 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Touko

Filming Locations:

Haga, Gothenburg, Västra Götalands län, Sweden

Box Office

Budget:

€5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Helsinki Filmi Oy, Anagram, Fridthjof Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Tähdet, tähdet: Elokuvamusiikki (2016)

User Reviews

Rewarding for the open-minded

This was a hit tonight at Tribeca Film Festival. A very fine biopic. I came away thinking how paradoxical that Scandinavia was so far ahead of the US in its relaxed attitude towards sex -- but only of the hetero variety. This film shows how tragically oppressive life was for gays (at least gay men) in Finland as late as the 1970s. When "Tom" / Touko Laaksonen arrives in L.A. to the adulation of the gay community, it's a joyous catharsis. But I disagree with the reviewer who wrote that the film wouldn't make anyone blush. Many viewers -- outside the Chelsea NYC crowd that attended tonight -- will indeed blush and even squirm, if not at the (albeit discrete) gay sex scenes, then at the artwork itself which is beyond explicit. I would advise viewing Tom of Finland's XXX-rating-worthy art before seeing the film. If you're open-minded, you will be well-rewarded... It falls short of a 10 for me because it lags in places, and the time and place contexts are often confusing. Other than that, it's an extremely well-made film that portrays the soul of an artist brave enough to break the constraints of his society and the times. It also powerfully depicts Touko's wartime experience, and how that filters into his later life -- a universal theme.