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...
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Fleeing from the Russian secret police, a young Estonian fencer is forced to return to his homeland, where he becomes a physical education teacher at a local school. The past however catches up and puts him in front of a difficult choice.
Director:
Klaus Härö
Stars:
Märt Avandi,
Ursula Ratasepp,
Hendrik Toompere Sr.
An elderly art dealer Olavi (72) is about to retire. A man who has always put business and art before everything - even his family - cannot imagine life without work. At an auction, an old ... See full summary »
Director:
Klaus Härö
Stars:
Heikki Nousiainen,
Pirjo Lonka,
Amos Brotherus
Häjyt tells a story of two friends who have a hard time finding their place in the society. Antti and Jussi are released from jail. While they were doing time for bank robbery, the third ... See full summary »
Director:
Aleksi Mäkelä
Stars:
Samuli Edelmann,
Juha Veijonen,
Teemu Lehtilä
It is the summer of 1941. An eastern-Finnish machine gun company receives an order to turn in their surplus equipment. The company is transferred to the front lines. The next morning the ... See full summary »
Director:
Edvin Laine
Stars:
Kosti Klemelä,
Heikki Savolainen,
Reino Tolvanen
This film is the second silver screen adaption of the Finnish war book by Väinö Linna with the same name as the film. The story is based on Linna's experiences as an infantry man in the ... See full summary »
Director:
Rauni Mollberg
Stars:
Risto Tuorila,
Pirkka-Pekka Petelius,
Paavo Liski
Juhani, 14 years old and tormented by a childhood trauma, has changed several foster parents from the age of eight. He is taken to an island, where there is a boys' home, run by a strict ... See full summary »
Director:
Dome Karukoski
Stars:
Niilo Syväoja,
Tommi Korpela,
Kristiina Halttu
Pekka returns to his native village to attend a wedding. The village has lost its younger generations, and the movie tells the story of the last wedding in the village.
Director:
Markku Pölönen
Stars:
Martti Suosalo,
Henrika Andersson,
Matti Varjo
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.Written by
Pusan International Film Festival
This film was supposed to be a made-for-TV film, but it was released in theaters instead. See more »
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. See more »
Quotes
Vankilan Johtaja:
Twelve years and no mention about leaves. Not a single requisition.
Leila:
Haven't had any reason.
Vankilan Johtaja:
And no family meetings.
Leila:
I have had no reason.
Vankilan Johtaja:
Do you have any idea where are you going to go next?
Leila:
It was to be life sentence.
Vankilan Johtaja:
Pardon has been accepted and that's that.
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Careful, finely-honed directing by Klaus Härö features wonderful performances by Heikki Nousiainen and Kaarina Hazard. Brilliant casting. Small, tiny, luminous inventions are everywhere; nothing is heavy-handed. The story, first written by Jaana Makkonen, is austere, moving; the film ends just where it needs to in order for the story resonate. In any other person's hands besides Härö's, the result could have been disastrous. Why? Because the story does not appear to be overtly exceptional; and the visuals of the film need to be composed with the actors in natural, country surroundings and among existing buildings and a church. Härö, a cinematic poet, transmutes the physical materials he has on hand into gold. See this film if you dislike badly made movies and yearn for outstanding quality.
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Careful, finely-honed directing by Klaus Härö features wonderful performances by Heikki Nousiainen and Kaarina Hazard. Brilliant casting. Small, tiny, luminous inventions are everywhere; nothing is heavy-handed. The story, first written by Jaana Makkonen, is austere, moving; the film ends just where it needs to in order for the story resonate. In any other person's hands besides Härö's, the result could have been disastrous. Why? Because the story does not appear to be overtly exceptional; and the visuals of the film need to be composed with the actors in natural, country surroundings and among existing buildings and a church. Härö, a cinematic poet, transmutes the physical materials he has on hand into gold. See this film if you dislike badly made movies and yearn for outstanding quality.