Purge (2012)

A tormented young woman is given a hiding place by an elderly lady and soon they are reminded of their mutual horrendous past.

Director:

Antti Jokinen (as Antti J. Jokinen)

Writers:

Marko Leino (screenplay), Antti Jokinen (screenplay) (as Antti J. Jokinen)

Stars:

Laura Birn, Liisi Tandefelt, Amanda Pilke

6 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laura Birn	...	Aliide / young-Ingel's sister
Liisi Tandefelt	...	Aliide / old-Ingel's sister
Amanda Pilke	...	Zara / Linda's daughter
Peter Franzén	...	Hans / Ingel's husband
Kristjan Sarv	...	Pasa / Gang member
Krista Kosonen	...	Ingel / Aliide's sister-Hans' wife
Tommi Korpela	...	Martin / Aliide's husband
Sonja Nüganen	...	Linda / Hans and Ingel's daughter
Kaisa Kaljusaar	...	Linda, 4 years
Laura Kiis	...	Linda, newborn
Tomi Salmela	...	Militia
Panu Vauhkonen	...	Tall man
Jaanika Arum	...	Katia / Victim of human trading
Jarmo Mäkinen	...	Lavrenti
Petteri Pennilä	...	Andrei

Storyline

Estonian in early 1990s: The story of two women from different eras whose lives are equally full of deception, despair and fear. Aliida survived the nightmare of the Stalinist camps and the deportation of Estonians to Siberia. At the same time, she has to live with a sense of guilt for her opportunism and even for the death of people. One night in 1992, she finds a young woman in the courtyard of independent countryside: Zara has been beaten down and is escaping from the bandits of the Russian mafia who kept her as a sexual slave. Subsequently, it turns out that Aliida and Zara are relatives. Gradually, their relationships and their stories are intertwined into a complex network. The cycle of hatred and violence continues from decade to generation.

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | jealous sister | male full rear nudity | sisters in love with the same man | forced prostitution | 

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Taglines:

Two women. Different eras. One destiny.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Facebook

Country:

Finland Estonia

Language:

Finnish

Release Date:

7 September 2012 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Purge

Filming Locations:

Estonia

Box Office

Budget:

€2,400,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Solar Films, Taska Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The official entry of Finland to the Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards 2013.

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Quotes

Pasa: [shows Aliide photos of a killed man] Look at the photos.
Aliide: I don't have to. I've seen bodies before.

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Connections

Referenced in Sofi Oksanen. Syntynyt kirjailijaksi (2013)

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Soundtracks

Ai Niga-Naga
trad.

User Reviews

Brutal

A young woman forced into a prostitution ring in Estonia escapes and seeks refuge with an old lady whose horrific past is revealed through a series of flashbacks, and although I am not fan of a non linear style of filmmaking, it works well for this particular movie.The two main actresses are terrific and the World War Two history lesson regarding Estonia and Stalin's communist Russia is quite compelling. Both the current theme of white slavery and the past one of atrocities committed in the name of patriotism and honor are portrayed in a brutal and honest way. Purge runs a bit too long at two hours and five minutes, but even with that small criticism, I would rank it as one of my favorite foreign language films.