Letters to Father Jacob (2009)

With few options, newly pardoned convict Leila agrees to work as an assistant to a blind pastor. Father Jacob spends his days answering the letters of the needy, which Leila finds pointless... See full summary »

Director:

Klaus Härö

Writers:

Klaus Härö (screenplay), Jaana Makkonen (original idea)

Stars:

Kaarina Hazard, Heikki Nousiainen, Jukka Keinonen

17 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Kaarina Hazard	...	Leila
Heikki Nousiainen	...	Father Jacob
Jukka Keinonen	...	Posteljooni
Esko Roine	...	Vankilan Johtaja
Kaija Pakarinen	...	Leilan sisko (voice)

Storyline

With few options, newly pardoned convict Leila agrees to work as an assistant to a blind pastor. Father Jacob spends his days answering the letters of the needy, which Leila finds pointless. But when the letters stop, the pastor is devastated and Leila finds herself cast in a new role.

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Plot Keywords:

letter | reading a letter aloud | letter read aloud | reading letter | reading a letter | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Submitted by Finland to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (U.S.A.) for consideration for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 82th Academy Awards.

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Goofs

In one brief shot, the mailbox in the yard has water streaming out from four holes. This water could not have accumulated naturally, so it was obviously poured into the mailbox by the crew just before the shot.

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Quotes

Posteljooni: Post for Father Jacob!

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Connections

References Little Big Man (1970)

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Soundtracks

Minuet in G, no. 2
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Kathleen Parlow

User Reviews

Beatifuly photographed

If you want to see cinematographic art, see this movie. I won't tell the plot. This is something you can find on other sites. The movie is moving and deeply thoughtful while being light and entertaining. A reflection on today's world without being schoolmarmish. It is comparable to Whale Rider in the storytelling. And it is beautifully photographed as well. There are scenes where just the movement of the birch tree leaves by the wind are shown and they themselves tell a story. A must see. I hope it will be shown in many countries. I have seen it at the Vancouver International Film Festival. It didn't win, unfortunately. Well done Finland. I hope to see more from this director and crew.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Release Date:

3 April 2009 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Cartas al padre Jacob

Box Office

Budget:

EUR525,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,332,577

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kinotar, Yleisradio (YLE)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1