Focus on Finland at Valladolid International Film Festival

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60th Valladolid International Film Festival 2015

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60th Valladolid International Film Festival 2015Fo

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Dear Friends of Cinema,

Front cover: The White Reindeer by Erik Blomberg

Page 2: Restless Blood by Teuvo Tulio

Back cover: Drifting Clouds by Aki Kaurismäki

Editors: Jaana Puskala, Jenni Domingo, Maikki Rantala

Photos: The Finnish Film Foundation, National Audiovisual Institute

Lay-out: Maikki Rantala

Printed by: Premedia Helsinki, 2015

Finland has the joy and honor of being

the Guest Country at the 60th Valladolid

Film Festival. The festival will showcase a

wide and interesting selection of different

Finnish films – classic films from the past

decades, documentaries, dramas and short

films – a total of 24 films in different sections.

We hope our films will offer you a chance to

glimpse at the landscape of this Northern

nation’s soul. We believe our films will touch

you, make you laugh and evoke in you both

thoughts and feelings.

A warm thank you to Festival Director

Javier Angulo and Denise O’Keeffe for

this wonderful opportunity and many

congratulations on the Festival’s 60th

anniversary!

Jaana Puskala

Head of international promotion

The Finnish Film Foundation

Estimados amigos del cinema,

Finlandia tiene el placer y el honor de ser

el país invitado en la sexagésima edición

del Festival de Cine de Valladolid. Les

ofrecemos una amplia e interesante muestra

de la filmografía finlandesa -clásicos de las

pasadas décadas, documentales, dramas y

cortometrajes- en total 24 películas incluidas

en diferentes series. Esperamos que esta

selección de películas les sirva de ayuda

para conocer el espíritu de este pueblo del

norte de Europa. Estamos convencidos que

nuestras películas les emocionarán, harán

reír y despertarán tanto pensamientos, como

emociones.

Mi mas cordial agradecimiento tanto a

Javier Angulo, Director del Festival, como

a Denise O’Keeffe por ofrecernos esta

magnífica oportunidad y mi más sincera

felicitación al festival en su 60 aniversario!

Jaana Puskala

Directora de Promoción Internacional

Fundación Cinematográfica Finlandesa

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Official section – Sección Oficial

The Girl King 7

Meeting point – Punto de Encuentro

2 Nights till Morning 8

Time of History – Tiempo de Historia

Marzia, My Friend 9

Official section, short films – Sección Oficial, cortometrajes

Merry Christmas 10

Meeting point, short films – Punto de Encuentro, cortometrajes

Reunion 11

Focus on Finland – País Invitado: Finlandia

Documentaries:

The Iddle Ones 12

The 3 rooms of Melancholia 12

Steam of Life 13

The Punk Syndrome 13

Finnish Blood, Swedish Heart 14

Feature films:

Drifting Clouds 14

Bad Family 15

The Good Son 15

Open Up To Me 16

Village People 16

The Disciple 17

They Have Escaped 17

The Grump 18

Classics:

The White Reindeer 19

The Boys 19

The Earth is a Sinful Song 20

The Man Who Couldn’t Say No 20

The Wedding Walz 21

The Collector 21

Directors and producers attending Valladolid 2015 22

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The Girl King

The Girl King is the story of Sweden’s Queen Kristina, an enigmatic young woman

who defied convention, challenged tradition and changed the course of history.

Torn between reason and passion; between her female body and being raised as

a prince; between the ancient and modern worlds and between the brilliance of

her educated mind and the terror of the emotions she could not understand.

ORIGINAL TITLE Tyttökuningas DIRECTOR Mika Kaurismäki SCREENWRITER

Michel Marc Bouchard PRINCIPAL CAST Malin Buska, Sarah Gadon, Michael Nyqvist,

Lucas Bryant, Laura Birn, Hippolyte Girardot, Francois Arnaud, Patrick Bauchau,

Peter Lohmeyer, Martina Gedeck PRODUCED BY Marianna Films Oy/Mika Kaurismäki,

Anna Stratton, Rainer Kölmel, Arnie Gelbart, Wasiliki Bleser, Martin Persson DURATION

106 min SALES The Yellow Affair SPANISH DISTRIBUTOR: Film Buro/Aquelarre

Screenings:

Press screening: Thursday October 29th at 12.00, Teatro Calderón,

followed by press conference

Official screening: Thursday October 29tth at 19.00, Teatro Calderón

Repetition: Friday October 30th at 16.30, Teatro Cervantes

Mika Kaurismäki

Mika Kaurismäki’s first film liar (1980) was an overnight

sensation. It marked the beginning of a new era in

Finnish cinema, in which the Kaurismäki brothers led

the way. Since then Mika Kaurismäki has made a host

of feature films and documentaries, including

The Worthless, Rosso, Zombie and the Ghost

Train, Helsinki napoli, la Without a Map, Mama

africa, Brasileirinho, Three Wise Men, The House

of Branching love and Road north, which was one of

the most popular films in Finland in 2012 with almost

300 000 admissions. Mika has completed two new

films in 2015 –The Girl King and Homecoming.

The director will be present at Valladolid.

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2 nights till Morning

A one-night stand between two strangers in a foreign country and without a mutual

language takes an unexpected turn as a volcanic ash cloud prevents all flights

from taking off. ORIGINAL TITLE 2 yötä aamuun DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER Mikko Kuparinen

PRINCIPAL CAST Marie-Joseé Croze, Mikko Nousiainen PRODUCED BY

Elokuvatuotantoyhtiö Mjölk/Mikko Tenhunen DURATION 84 min

SALES Wide Management

Screenings:

1st screening: Wednesday October 28th at 11.30, Teatro Zorrilla

Main screening and presentation: Thursday October 29th at 22.00, Teatro Zorrilla

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Mikko Kuparinen

Kuparinen’s (b. 1979) first feature film was the romantic

comedy Body Fat Index of love, 2012. His short films

have won main prizes at international film festivals;

Sirocco won the H.C. Andersen Award, the Grand Prix

at the Odense Film Festival in Denmark in 2013. Sirocco

and Mikko were also chosen for the “10 Directors to

Watch” DVD published by four Nordic film magazines.


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Marzia, My Friend

Marzia, My Friend is the story of an Afghan woman in her twenties, who – just like

all young people – dreams of love, freedom and an interesting job. But because she

lives in Afghanistan, her dreams are revolutionary. Ultimately Marzia’s story becomes

a symbol of the wider struggle of Afghan women: it is about the right to make

decisions about your own life.

ORIGINAL TITLE Marzia, ystäväni DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER Kirsi Mattila

PRODUCED BY Pohjola-filmi/Elina Pohjola, Piia Nokelainen DURATION 80 min, 2015

SALES Filmdelights

Screenings:

1st screening: Tuesday October 27th at 11.45, Broadway Cinema 11

Main screening and presentation: Thursday October 29th at 21.30, Broadway Cinema

Kirsi Mattila

Kirsi Mattila is a documentary director-screenwriter and

a freelance journalist. Mattila has worked as a journalist

since 1980 and she has written and directed a number of

educational programs and documentaries for TV and film.

Her selected filmography includes documentaries such

as niki and niki’s Brother (2008), 80 years of Student

Theatre (2006) and the Joy of Giving Birth (2004).


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Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas is a Christmas story about Asko, a tram driver who finds an

abandoned baby. Who does the boy child belong to? Who is missing him?

Asko decides to find out. Merry Christmas is a comical interpretation of the

traditional Christmas gospel set in a modern-day Helsinki.

ORIGINAL TITLE Hyvää joulua DIRECTOR Matti Ijäs SCREENWRITER Juha Lehtola,

Matti Ijäs PRINCIPAL CAST Pertti Sveholm, Aili PRODUCED BY Scenes Oy/Juha

Lehtola DURATION 10 min, 2015 SALES Scenes Oy

Screenings:

Press screening: Sunday October 25th at 12.00, Teatro Calderón

Official screening: Sunday October 25th at 19.00, Teatro Calderón

Repetition: Monday October 26th at 16.30, Teatro Cervantes

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Matti Ijäs

Matti Ijäs, born 1950, is known for his feature films

Things We Do for love (2013), Blue Corner (2002) and

Blindfolded (1999). Ijäs has also enjoyed an extensive

career in television; his directorial works include The

Wrestler (1985) and The Inspection (1988). Matti Ijäs has

been awarded the Prix Italia, the State Prize for Cinema

and in 2002 he received the Order of the Lion of Finland –

Pro Finlandia Medal for his vast career in Finnish film.


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Reunion

Young Anja accompanies the dead of her hometown to the afterlife. When she joins

her brother on the couch moments before his heart attack, things are different.

Can they make up and dance their way to the next world together?

ORIGINAL TITLE Tuolla puolen DIRECTORS/SCREENWRITERS Iddo Soskolne, Janne

Reinikainen PRINCIPAL CAST Selma af Schultén, Janne Reinikainen, Riitta Havukainen

PRODUCED BY Bufo/ Misha Jaari, Mark Lwoff DURATION 15 min, 2015 SALES Bufo

Screenings:

1st screening: Wednesday October 28th at 11.30, Teatro Zorrilla

Main screening and presentation: Thursday October 29th at 22.00, Teatro Zorrilla

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Iddo Soskolne

Iddo Soskolne (b. 1975 in Jerusalem) graduated with honours as a cinematographer

and screenwriter from the Sam Spiegel Film & TV School in Israel in 2003.

His graduation films travelled to numerous festivals including Cannes Cinéfondation,

Berlin and Clermont-Ferrand. Reunion is his first film as a director.


Janne Reinikainen

Janne Reinikainen (b. 1969) is a Finnish theatre director, actor, and screenwriter.

His latest TV project is the series Napamiehet, in which he worked as a screenwriter,

director, and actor. Reunion is Janne Reinikainen’s first film as a director.

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Documentaries

The Idles Ones

2001 • 90´

The Idle Ones is a description of the

state of affairs—somewhere on the

edge of Europe—where the lack of a

regular job is becoming a way of life for

some of the younger generation.

Original title: Joutilaat

Director: Susanna Helke,

Virpi Suutari

Script: Susanna Helke, Virpi Suutari

Cinematography: Harri Räty

Production company: Kinotar Oy,

www.kinotar.com

Sales: Kinotar

Screenings:

Sat 24.10. 11:45 Sala Broadway 1

The 3 Rooms of Melancholia

2004 • 85´

The Chechen war. The inability of

adults to resolve the war gives rise to a

generation upon whom hatred has been

visited with vengeance. Children have

taken the burden of hatred which they

believe springs from within. There is no

need to seek its causes. The transposed

hatred casts a pall over the depths of their

minds: they are accompanied throughout

their lives by inexplicable melancholia

and sudden outbursts of rage.

Original title:

Melancholian 3 huonetta

Director: Pirjo Honkasalo

Script: Pirjo Honkasalo

Cinematography: Pirjo Honkasalo

Production company:

Oy Millennium Film Ltd.,

www.millenniumfilm.fi

Sales: Deckert Distribution

Spanish distributor: Parallel 40

Screenings:


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Steam of life

2010 • 84´

Naked Finnish Men in saunas speak

straight from the heart and, with

the warmth of rusty stoves, cleanse

themselves both physically and mentally

as the film moves towards its deeply

emotional and unforgettable finale.

Original title: Miesten vuoro

Director: Joonas Berghäll, Mika

Hotakainen

Script: Joonas Berghäll,

Mika Hotakainen

Cinematography: Heikki Färm,

Jani Kumpulainen

Music: Jonas Bohlin

Production company: Oktober Oy,

www.oktober.fi

Sales: Films Transit International

Screenings:

Wed 30.10. 12:00 Sala Broadway 10

The Punk Syndrome

2012 • 90´

The Punk Syndrome is a film about the

Finnish punk rock band Pertti Kurikan

nimipäivät, which later was the Finnish

representative in the 2015 Eurovision

Song Contest. The film follows the

band´s four mentally challenged

members’ journey from the rehearsal

room to festival stages and ultimately,

into the limelight.

Original title: Kovasikajuttu

Director: Jukka Kärkkäinen, J-P Passi

Script: Jukka Kärkkäinen, J-P Passi

Cinematography: J-P Passi

Music: Pertti Kurikan nimipäivät

Production company: Mouka Filmi,

www.mouka.fi

Sales: Autlook Filmsales

Screenings:

Sun 25.10. 11:45 Sala Broadway 1

Documentaries

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Finnish Blood, Swedish Heart

2013 • 90´

The journey of a father and son

becomes a musical, delving into

the emotional memory and history

of Finnish migration to Sweden, an

exploration of shame, guilt, crime,

alcoholism and family secrets.

Original title: Laulu koti-ikävästä

Director: Mika Ronkainen

Script: Mika Ronkainen

Cinematography: Vesa Taipaleenmäki

Music: Anna Järvinen, Darya Pakarinen,

Love Antell, Markus Fagervall and

several other artists

Production company:

Klaffi Productions,

www.klaffi.com

Sales: Klaffi Productions

Spanish distributor: Parallel 40

Screenings:


Documentaries Feature films

Drifting Clouds

1996 • 96´

This film has a story, which is not very

hard to understand, especially if you

have seen the film. The main characters

(altogether two) form a family. In the

beginning they are happy. Then the

trouble comes. By the end they are

happy again. Almost the same can be

said about the supporting characters,

although they are never—in cinema—

as important as the main characters,

except for Wolter Brennon.

— A.K.

Original title: Kauas pilvet karkaavat

Director: Aki Kaurismäki

Script: Aki Kaurismäki

Cinematography: Timo Salminen

Cast: Kati Outinen, Kari Väänänen, Elina

Salo, Sakari Kuosmanen, Markku Peltola

Production company: Sputnik Oy,

www.orimattila.fi/kirjasto/kaurismäki,

www.the-match-factory.com

Screenings:

Fri 30.10. 19:30 Sala Broadway 9


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Bad Family

2010 • 92

After going through an ugly divorce,

a father must raise his son on his own

while the mother has custody of the

daughter. Sixteen years later, the

mother passes away, and the brother

and sister meet once again. The father

thinks his son has a crush on his sister.

The son rebels against his father, who

copes poorly with the situation. The

father ends up alone with his own

demented father.

Original title: Paha perhe

Director: Aleksi Salmenperä

Script: Aleksi Salmenperä

Cinematography: Tuomo Hutri

Music: Ville A. Tanttu

Cast: Ville Virtanen, Pihla Viitala,

Lauri Tilkanen

Production company: Sputnik Oy,

www.the-match-factory.com

Sales: The Match Factory

Screenings:


Mon 26.10. 11:45 Sala Broadway 1

The Good Son

2011 • 87´

After a scandalous premiere, actress

Leila escapes to the old family

summerhouse with her two sons. The

explosive and arrogant Ilmari, her older

son, is Leila’s protector and confidant.

The peaceful vacation is disrupted when

Leila invites her artist friends over for

a rowdy weekend. After the party Leila

invites one of the guests, Aimo, a writer,

to stay. Ilmari is immediately hostile

towards the intruder. As Leila begins to

fall in love, Ilmari begins to suspect that

Aimo might be dangerous.

Original title: Hyvä poika

Director: Zaida Bergroth

Script: Jan Forsström, Zaida Bergroth

Cinematography: Anu Keränen

Music: Mi and Láu

Cast: Elina Knihtilä, Samuli Niittymäki,

Eero Aho, Anna Paavilainen, Eetu Julin

Production company: Oy Bufo Ab,

www.bufo.fi

Sales: Level K

Screenings:

Tue 27.10. 22:00 Sala Broadway 9


Feature films

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Feature films

Open up to Me

2013 • 95´

Open up to Me is an intense

psychological drama about sexual

identity. In modern relationships

nothing can be taken for granted

anymore. There is no ready-made

model for love. We have to create our

own morals. We have to draw lines and

sometimes, when our hearts tell us to,

cross them.

Original title: Kerron sinulle kaiken

Director: Simo Halinen

Script: Simo Halinen

Cinematography: Hena Blomberg

Music: Jarmo Saari

Cast: Leea Klemola, Peter Franzén,

Ria Kataja,

Emmi Nivala, Alex Anton

Production company: Edith Film,

www.kaihorepublic.com

Sales: The Yellow Affair

Screenings:

Thu 29.10. 22:00 Sala Broadway 9


Village People

2013 • 95´

Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, the long-time

president of the Republic of Finland, is

scheduled to visit Alli’s Bar on his way to

northern Finland. He is blindly worshiped

and the nearer the visit draws, the more

envy, competition and dirty tricks we see

in a small town. No one is spared from

the brutality!

Original title: Kekkonen tulee!

Director: Marja Pyykkö

Script: Elias Koskimies (based on the

short story “Alli’s Bar” in the novel

“Urho Kekkonen Straße” by Pia Pesonen)

Cinematography: Konsta Sohlberg

Music: Antti Lehtinen

Cast: Wilma Rosenqvist, Merja Larivaara,

Marjaana Maijala, Konsta Mäkelä,

Miina Turunen

Production company: Solar Films Inc.,

www.solarfilms.com

Sales: Solar Films Inc.

Screenings:



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Feature films

The Disciple

2013 • 93´

An isolated island in the Baltic Sea in

the summer of 1939. Thirteen-year-

old Karl comes to the island to work

as lighthouse master Hasselbond´s

assistant. Master Hasselbond turns

Karl down because of his young age.

Karl struggles desperately to stay on.

Karl and Hasselbond’s oppressed

son, Gustaf, become friends, but their

friendship turns into rivalry and hate

when Hasselbond starts to favor Karl

over his own son.

Original title: Lärjungen

Director: Ulrika Bengts

Script: Roland Fauser, Jimmy Carlson

Cinematography: Robert Nordström

Music: Peter Hägerstrand

Cast: Erik Lönngren, Patrik

Kumpulainen, Niklas Groundstroem,

Amanda Ooms, Ping Mon Wallén

Production company:

Långfilm Productions Finland Oy,

www.langfilm.fi

Sales: Långfilm Productions

Screenings:



They Have Escaped

2014 • 102´

When a boy and girl meet at a detention

center for troubled youths, they steal

a car and flee together. Thus begins a

journey with endless escapes.

They Have Escaped is a film about

fragile love, childhood dreams and the

violence of reality.

Original title: He ovat paenneet

Director: J-P Valkeapää

Script: J-P Valkeapää, Pilvi Peltola

Cinematography: Pietari Peltola

Music: Helge Slicker

Cast: Roosa Söderholm, Teppo

Manner, Pelle Heikkilä, Petteri Pennilä

Production company: Helsinki-filmi Oy,

www.helsinkifilmi.fi


Screenings:



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Feature films

The Grump

2014 • 103´

The Grump is a story about a die-hard

man in his eighties who is outspoken and

stubborn. He thinks everything was much

better in the old days. The story unfolds

as the Grump falls down his basement

steps and hurts his ankle. His city-

dwelling son finds him, and according to

doctor’s orders, the Grump must attend

physiotherapy in the city, which means

he must stay with his son and daughter-

in-law. Now the Grump must face a

changing world.

Original title: Mielensäpahoittaja

Director: Dome Karukoski

Script: Tuomas Kyrö, Dome Karukoski

Cinematography: Pini Hellstedt

Music: Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson

Cast: Antti Litja, Petra Frey,

Mari Peronkoski, Ilkka Forss

Production company:

Solar Films Inc., www.solarfilms.com


Spanish distributor: Film Buro/Aquelarre

Screenings:



Classics

Restless Blood

1946 • 91’

A drama directed by Teuvo Tulio, the

father of Finnish melodrama. Two sisters

fall in love with the same man, creating a

love triangle with ill-fated consequences.

Sylvi, the main character who becomes

blind, is played by Regina Linnanheimo,

one of the biggest stars from the early

years of Finnish cinema.

Original title: Levoton veri

Director: Teuvo Tulio

Script: Teuvo Tulio, Regina Linnanheimo

Cinematography: Pentti Lintonen

Music: Tauno Marttinen

Cast: Regina Linnanheimo,

Eino Katajavuori, Toini Vartiainen

Production company: Teuvo Tulio

Screenings:



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The White Reindeer

1952 • 74’

The White Reindeer is a real gem

among Finnish classics, a film we love to

screen abroad. The film is set in fabled,

mythical and wild Lapland. A woman is

transformed into a reindeer, and with

the intensity rising, we get to watch this

strange woman, who is thought to be a

witch, journey towards destruction.

The White Reindeer can also be

considered a successful art film where

exquisite camerawork and poetic

music support female lead Mirjami

Kuosmanen’s fantastic performance.

The film was awarded at the Cannes

Film Festival in 1953.

Original title: Valkoinen peura

Director: Erik Blomberg

Script: Erik Blomberg,

Mirjami Kuosmanen

Cinematography: Erik Blomberg

Music: Einar Englund

Cast: Mirjami Kuosmanen,

Åke Lindman, Kalervo Nissilä

Production company: Junior-Filmi Oy

Screenings:



The Boys

1962 • 106’

Mikko Niskanen is a director who

has succeeded exceptionally well in

portraying the Finnish lifestyle from an

individual perspective in, for example,

Eight Deadly Shots.

His film The Boys is set in post-World

War II Lapland as German troops are

pulling out. We see the war and its

destruction from the perspective of

boys on the verge of adulthood.

The life of the main character Jake is

turned upside down, and he is faced

with a big change.

Original title: Pojat

Director: Mikko Niskanen

Script: Mikko Niskanen,

after Paavo Rintala’s novel (1958)

Cinematography: Olavi Tuomi

Music: Einar Englund

Cast: Vesa-Matti Loiri, Uti Saurio,

Hannu Vironmäki, Liisa Nevalainen,

Kauko Helovirta

Production company:

Oy Suomen Filmiteollisuus

Screenings:



Classics

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Classics

The Earth Is a Sinful Song

1973 • 108’

The Earth Is a Sinful Song is one of

the Finnish films you can’t forget easily.

The portrayal of the people of Lapland

and their harsh living conditions can

be described as gritty; that as well as

the depiction of their everyday life will

stay with you a long time. As we watch a

young woman grow into an adult, we also

get a good picture of what the different

seasons in Finland look like, thanks to the

masterful camerawork by Kari Sohlberg.

Original title: Maa on syntinen laulu

Director: Rauni Mollberg

Script: Rauni Mollberg,

Pirjo Honkasalo, Panu Rajala,

based on Timo K. Mukka’s novel (1964)

Cinematography: Kari Sohlberg

Music: Hannu Sinnemäki

Cast: Maritta Viitamäki,

Pauli Jauhojärvi, Aimo Saukko,

Milja Hiltunen, Niiles-Jouni Aikio

Production company: RM-Filmi Ky

Screenings:



The Man Who Couldn’t Say no

1975 • 103’

Risto Jarva’s The Man Who Couldn’t

Say no is a fine portrait of the culture

and attitudes of the free and radical 70s.

The film, shot in a beautiful old wooden

house in the idyllic neighborhood of

Vallila, Helsinki, is a comedy, which is

not that common in Finnish film where

most are dramas. The main character is

played by Antti Litja, who also plays the

lead in Dome Karukoski’s The Grump

(2014); another example of a long-time

favorite actor of Finns.

Original title: Mies, joka ei

osannut sanoa ei

Director: Risto Jarva

Script: Jussi Kylätasku, Risto Jarva

Cinematography: Antti Peippo

Music: Markku Kopisto

Cast: Antti Litja, Kirsti Wallasvaara,

Matti Ruohola, Vivi-Ann Sjögren

Production company: Filminor Oy

Screenings:



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The Inspection / The Wedding Waltz

1988 • 56’

The Inspection is a film made for TV

and an example of excellent ensemble

work by the filmmakers and actors. This

film, spiced with dark humor, enjoys a

cult status, especially among Finnish

men. People can recite lines from it, and

it’s typically watched on a Friday night

with beer and friends, which is natural,

as the central theme of the film is

friendship between men. Director Matti

Ijäs has made a long and fine career; all

in all he has directed 36 films.

Original title: Katsastus

Director: Matti Ijäs

Script: Joni Skiftesvik, Matti Ijäs,

Timo Torikka, based on several

short stories by Joni Skiftesvik

Cinematography: Pauli Sipiläinen

Music: Antti Hytti

Cast: Vesa Vierikko, Sulevi Peltola,

Markku Maalismaa, Kaija Pakarinen

Production company: Yleisradio TV 1

Screenings:



The Collector

1997 • 96’

The debut film of director Auli Mantila

is an exceptionally striking masterpiece

from the female director, now also a

producer, known for her original style.

The main character of the film is Eevi,

a young woman who definitely doesn’t

have her life together. She’s someone

we wouldn’t even want to get to know,

but the director takes us on a journey

into her broken mind. Holding our

breaths, we get to watch her actions and

their consequences. Leea Klemola gives

an excellent performance as Eevi.

She also stars in Simo Halinen’s film

Open up to Me.

Original title: Neitoperho

Director: Auli Mantila

Script: Auli Mantila

Cinematography: Heikki Färm

Cast: Leea Klemola, Elina Hurme,

Rea Mauranen

Production company: GNUfilms Oy

Screenings:



Classics

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DIRECTORS

Mika KaurismäkiMikko KuparinenKirsi MattilaMatti IjäsIddo Soskolne

Zaida BergrothZaida Bergroth (b. 1977) has directed

the awarded short films Glass Jaw

(2004) and Heavy Metal 2006). Her first

feature was last Cowboy Standing

(2009), which won the Flash Forward

-award at Pusan FF 2009, as well as the

Finnish Jussi awards for best screenplay

and best sound design. At Chicago IFF

it won Golden Hugo in New Directors

Competition. The film was also Finland’s

nominee for Nordic Council’s Film Prize.

Simo HalinenBorn in 1963, Simon Halinen is a writer/

director, working for film and television.

His TV works include the TV film

Minerva (1997), the mini-series The Girl

with a Pig Tale (2004) and three-part

black comedy Golden Retriever (2007)

His first feature film was Cyclomania

(2001). Open up to Me is his second

feature. Halinen has also written two

novels: Idänsydänsimpukka (2004) and

Lemmenomenia (2008).

Marja PyykköOne of the most promising Finnish new

generation movie directors Marja Pyykkö

(b. 1975) has graduated from UIAH.

Her first feature film Run, Sister, Run

is a milestone in the way it portrays the

rebellion of the Finnish youth. Village

People is Pyykkö’s second feature; a

tongue-in-cheek comedy about people

longing for a miracle, something or

someone to change their lives for good.

The story is set way up in Finnish Lapland

where everything is twisted but nothing

is as it seems. Pyykkö has directed

numerous short films and commercials.

As a second-generation movie

professional, she has lived and breathed

film since early ages as an actress,

assistant director, casting director and

property master before her career

launched her to the director’s chair.

PRODuCERS

liisa Penttilä-asikainenLiisa Penttilä-Asikainen is the CEO

and Executive Producer of production

company Kaiho Republic. Since 2001

Penttilä-Asikainen has produced awarded

short films, TV series, and feature

films. Some recent examples include Aku

Louhimies’s film naked Harbour (2012)

and Simo Halinen’s film Open up To Me

Zaida Bergroth Simo Halinen Marja Pyykkö

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(2013). She has also co-produced e.g.

Lars Von Trier’s Dogville (2003) and

Peter Greenaway’s Eisenstein in

Guanajuato (2015). Penttilä-Asikainen is

a member of ACE and Board member of

the Finnish Film Foundation.

Mark lwoffProducer Mark Lwoff (b. 1976) is one

of the founding associates of the

production company Bufo in 2007.

His productions have included feature

films Zaida Bergroth’s The Good Son,

Pirjo Honkasalo’s Concrete night,

Akseli Tuomivaara’s Korso and Jörn

Donner’s film armi alive!. He’s currently

developing White Point, an action film to

be directed by Akseli Tuomivaara in 2016.

THE FInnISH FIlM FOunDaTIOn

Jaana Puskala Jaana Puskala has worked in the

International Promotion department of

the Finnish Film Foundation since 1990.

She was the acting Head of International

Promotion during 2003–2006 and was

appointed the Head of Feature Film

Promotion in 2008. As the Head of Feature

Film Promotion she is responsible for

promoting Finnish feature films abroad as

well as building and reinforcing contacts

between the Finnish film industry and

international festivals, sales companies and

distributors around the world.

Mrs. Puskala is Finland’s representative

in European Film Promotion (EFP), an

umbrella organization of promotional

institutes of different European countries,

and has been a member of the board

of EFP since 2009. She is also Finland’s

representative in the Festival Group of

Scandinavian Films.

[email protected],

Tel. +358 50 593 2068

Jenni DomingoJenni Domingo works as a Coordinator

of Feature Film Promotion at The Finnish

Film Foundation. She has a background

of TV documentary production, as well

as working in the film festival organization.

Good films in every genre are her inspirer,

organizing things and solving matters

her aspiration.

[email protected],

Tel. +358 40 841 2849

Liisa Penttilä-Asikainen

Jaana Puskala

Jenni DomingoMark Lwoff

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Documents

Focus on Finland at Valladolid International Film Festival