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IMDbPro

Back Towards Light

Original title: Takaisin valoon
  • 20182018
  • 1h 21m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
41
YOUR RATING
Back Towards Light (2018)
Documentary
Newly graduated Marissa gets a job at an international law consulting company. Marissa is excited about a chance to start a new, independent life. She has been hired by a Finnish man of Nort... Read allNewly graduated Marissa gets a job at an international law consulting company. Marissa is excited about a chance to start a new, independent life. She has been hired by a Finnish man of North African heritage. The work is challenging but rewarding, and Marissa is given a lot of r... Read allNewly graduated Marissa gets a job at an international law consulting company. Marissa is excited about a chance to start a new, independent life. She has been hired by a Finnish man of North African heritage. The work is challenging but rewarding, and Marissa is given a lot of responsibility. Before long Marissa is sent to Germany to make purchases for the company an... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
41
YOUR RATING
    • Arto Halonen
    • Arto Halonen
  • Stars
    • Marissa Jaakola
    • Risto
    • Mika Tauru
    • Arto Halonen
    • Arto Halonen
  • Stars
    • Marissa Jaakola
    • Risto
    • Mika Tauru
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1User review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Photos13

    Kiumars Zarei and Stella Kylä-Liuhala in Back Towards Light (2018)
    Stella Kylä-Liuhala in Back Towards Light (2018)
    Stella Kylä-Liuhala and Marissa Jaakola in Back Towards Light (2018)
    Stella Kylä-Liuhala in Back Towards Light (2018)
    Marissa Jaakola in Back Towards Light (2018)
    Stella Kylä-Liuhala in Back Towards Light (2018)
    Kiumars Zarei and Stella Kylä-Liuhala in Back Towards Light (2018)
    Stella Kylä-Liuhala in Back Towards Light (2018)
    Marissa Jaakola in Back Towards Light (2018)
    Arto Halonen and Marissa Jaakola in Back Towards Light (2018)
    Back Towards Light (2018)
    Back Towards Light (2018)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Marissa Jaakola
    • Self
    Risto
    • Self
    Mika Tauru
    • Self - detective police
    Päivi Akkanen-Kouki
    • Self - embassy official, Embassy of Finland in Tunis
    Seppo Taurén
    • Self - consul, Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs
    Pentti Petroff
    • Self - women's safe house priest
    Stella Kylä-Liuhala
    • Marissa Jaakola in reenactment
    Kiumars Zarei
    • Lawyer in reenactment
    Henri Tuominen
    • Risto in reenactment
    Nora Löfving
    • Päivi Akkanen-Kouki in reenactment
    • (as Nora Löfving-Lihtonen)
    Janne Palmqvist
    Samy Lahmadi
    Zouheir Ouled Saad
    Monia Toujemi
    Mohamed Khalfaoui
    Zeineb Bediss
    Souad Chelli
    Ibtissem Cherif
      • Arto Halonen
      • Arto Halonen
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    User reviews1

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    All the stars for wonderful Marissa
    I have seen this twice now. I believe that my own life experiences, albeit very different from the outside, make this documentary very captivating. I usually don't like that much dramatized documentaries but here it didn't bother me at all. The powerful and at the same time somehow fragile presence of Marissa herself throughout the film was all that was needed. Her voice telling the story. Her courage. And by that I mean being able to sit there and show how the memories of the most traumatizing events of her life still shake her and bring up tears. That's a tall order. And her descriptions of the events have this sense of synaesthesia to which I can relate to very well. I suppose others who have rated the film (which are very few anyway at this point) don't have as many similarities with their inner experiences, or maybe they just haven't had serious traumatic events in their life. For me to say this was moving is an understatement.

    I don't have much to say about any technical aspects, I just watch films, and if something is bothering me visually or sound-wise, it really does bother me, and I remember those very well afterwards. Nothing there to criticize. This one made me go through the rabbit hole of my own past as I watched, and listened, but afterwards I didn't feel battered at all. Something must have been done right to tell a story like this and leave someone like me feeling hopeful in the end. I'm not one to easily consider forgiveness or see the light ahead. Maybe that's why people like me need films like this.
    helpful•1
    0
    • JuneGirl77
    • Dec 22, 2020

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 19, 2018 (Finland)
      • Finland
      • Finnish
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Aleksanterinkatu, Helsinki, Finland
    • Production company
      • Art Films Production
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 21 minutes
      • Color

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