Selma Vilhunen’s intimate drama Four Little Adults gently explores the choices faced by one family embarking on non-traditional relationships. At its heart are Juulia and Matias, a married couple who’ve been together for many years. Like all partnerships, theirs has weathered ups and downs, and now new challenges emerge.
We meet the pair in their comfortable Helsinki home, where their lives seem stable. But appearances can be misleading. When secrets come to light, Juulia handles the situation with empathy and wisdom beyond her years. Rather than reacting in anger, she understands none of us have all the answers when it comes to love. Her bold proposal pushes boundaries yet stems from a place of open-heartedness.
As the months pass, we observe how the characters evolve, for better or worse. Vilhunen never judges but portrays each person’s struggles with nuance. Their journey may not follow well-worn routes, but...
We meet the pair in their comfortable Helsinki home, where their lives seem stable. But appearances can be misleading. When secrets come to light, Juulia handles the situation with empathy and wisdom beyond her years. Rather than reacting in anger, she understands none of us have all the answers when it comes to love. Her bold proposal pushes boundaries yet stems from a place of open-heartedness.
As the months pass, we observe how the characters evolve, for better or worse. Vilhunen never judges but portrays each person’s struggles with nuance. Their journey may not follow well-worn routes, but...
- 8/11/2024
- by Naser Nahandian
- Gazettely
Alma Pöysti stands out as a feminist politician in this irritatingly cosy portrait of a very complicated relationship worked out all too easily
A rosy glow of self-satisfied emotional intelligence emanates from this film about polyamory from Finland. Alma Pöysti (from Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves) plays Juulia, a progressive feminist politician married to Christian pastor Matias (Eero Milonoff); they have one child. When Matias, in anguish, admits he is in love with single-mum parishioner Enni (Oona Airola), but still loves Juulia, she is deeply hurt but boldly suggests an open marriage as a solution. Soon she too begins a relationship with queer nurse Miska (Pietu Wikström) who is together with a maths teacher in Sweden.
Having accepted the validity of polyamory, the movie naturally denies itself and us the vulgar sexy thrill of infidelity and guilty secrets. This makes it much more mature and much less exciting. Pöysti is good as Juulia,...
A rosy glow of self-satisfied emotional intelligence emanates from this film about polyamory from Finland. Alma Pöysti (from Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves) plays Juulia, a progressive feminist politician married to Christian pastor Matias (Eero Milonoff); they have one child. When Matias, in anguish, admits he is in love with single-mum parishioner Enni (Oona Airola), but still loves Juulia, she is deeply hurt but boldly suggests an open marriage as a solution. Soon she too begins a relationship with queer nurse Miska (Pietu Wikström) who is together with a maths teacher in Sweden.
Having accepted the validity of polyamory, the movie naturally denies itself and us the vulgar sexy thrill of infidelity and guilty secrets. This makes it much more mature and much less exciting. Pöysti is good as Juulia,...
- 6/5/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: Picture Tree International (Pti) has boarded sales on religious cult drama Raptures (Rörelser) about the notorious real-life Korpela Movement which took hold in the remote Torne Valley on the border of Sweden and Finland in the 1930s.
Written and directed by Swedish filmmaker Jon Blåhed, the film is inspired by true events captured in the novel Dagning; röd! by award-winning minority Meänkieli language author Bengt Pohjanen.
The drama, which is currently in the second half of its shoot in northern Finland and Sweden, will be the first feature shot in Meänkieli, which is spoken by some 70,000 people in the Torne Valley but was suppressed by the Swedish state for decades.
Blåhed took further inspiration from his own family history connected to the strict Læstadian movement in the Torne Valley region where he grew up.
The drama revolves around Rakel, a devout Christian believer whose husband Teodor forms a liberal...
Written and directed by Swedish filmmaker Jon Blåhed, the film is inspired by true events captured in the novel Dagning; röd! by award-winning minority Meänkieli language author Bengt Pohjanen.
The drama, which is currently in the second half of its shoot in northern Finland and Sweden, will be the first feature shot in Meänkieli, which is spoken by some 70,000 people in the Torne Valley but was suppressed by the Swedish state for decades.
Blåhed took further inspiration from his own family history connected to the strict Læstadian movement in the Torne Valley region where he grew up.
The drama revolves around Rakel, a devout Christian believer whose husband Teodor forms a liberal...
- 2/7/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Mother, Couch, the Niclas Larsson-directed film, took the Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film at the Göteborg Film Festival. The film was awarded Sek 400,000, which is about $38,000.
The film stars Ewan McGregor, who had also received an honorary Dragon Award during 47th edition of the festival.
Mother, Couch made its debut at last year’s Toronto Film Festival. The debut film by Larsson is based on Swedish author Jerker Virdborg’s novel Mamma i soffa, a story of three children who are brought together when their mother refuses to move from a couch in a furniture store.
Other winners at Göteborg included Oona Airola’s Best Acting award for The Missile, with Juan Sarmiento G. taking the award for cinematography and Nikolaj Arcel’s The Promised Land taking the Audience Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film.
Full list of winners Best Nordic Film
Mother, Couch
Best Acting
Oona Airola...
The film stars Ewan McGregor, who had also received an honorary Dragon Award during 47th edition of the festival.
Mother, Couch made its debut at last year’s Toronto Film Festival. The debut film by Larsson is based on Swedish author Jerker Virdborg’s novel Mamma i soffa, a story of three children who are brought together when their mother refuses to move from a couch in a furniture store.
Other winners at Göteborg included Oona Airola’s Best Acting award for The Missile, with Juan Sarmiento G. taking the award for cinematography and Nikolaj Arcel’s The Promised Land taking the Audience Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film.
Full list of winners Best Nordic Film
Mother, Couch
Best Acting
Oona Airola...
- 2/4/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Niclas Larsson’s “Mother, Couch” was awarded the Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film at Goteborg, taking home the considerable amount of Sek 400,000.
Led by Ewan McGregor – this year’s recipient of the Honorary Dragon Award – the U.S.-Swedish-Danish co-production also features Ellen Burstyn and “Bones and All” breakout Taylor Russell, making it one of the starriest Goteborg winners in recent years.
“My therapist was wrong! I pitched him this idea a few years ago and he said: ‘Don’t do it.’ I am from here and this festival has meant the world to me. Standing on this stage is a bit surreal,” said Larsson.
Jurors Lena Endre, Ramata-Toulaye Sy, William Spetz, Tonia Noyabrova and Anna Novion appreciated the way it shows “how difficult it is to let go of the past, accept loss and finally embrace the future.” They praised “original and bold storytelling, with a lot of humor,...
Led by Ewan McGregor – this year’s recipient of the Honorary Dragon Award – the U.S.-Swedish-Danish co-production also features Ellen Burstyn and “Bones and All” breakout Taylor Russell, making it one of the starriest Goteborg winners in recent years.
“My therapist was wrong! I pitched him this idea a few years ago and he said: ‘Don’t do it.’ I am from here and this festival has meant the world to me. Standing on this stage is a bit surreal,” said Larsson.
Jurors Lena Endre, Ramata-Toulaye Sy, William Spetz, Tonia Noyabrova and Anna Novion appreciated the way it shows “how difficult it is to let go of the past, accept loss and finally embrace the future.” They praised “original and bold storytelling, with a lot of humor,...
- 2/3/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Niclas Larsson’s Mother, Couch took the Dragon award for best Nordic film at Goteborg Film Festival, which held its closing ceremony this evening.
The Swedish-us drama received the 400,000 Sek prize from the five-person jury, consisting of actors Lena Endre and William Spetz, and directors Ramata-Toulaye Sy, Tonia Noyabrova and Anna Novion.
Scroll down for the full list of winners
The jury chose the film for its “original and bold storytelling with a lot of humour; with the use of creative cinematography and sharp and witty dialogue.”
Mother, Couch centres on three children who are brought together when their mother...
The Swedish-us drama received the 400,000 Sek prize from the five-person jury, consisting of actors Lena Endre and William Spetz, and directors Ramata-Toulaye Sy, Tonia Noyabrova and Anna Novion.
Scroll down for the full list of winners
The jury chose the film for its “original and bold storytelling with a lot of humour; with the use of creative cinematography and sharp and witty dialogue.”
Mother, Couch centres on three children who are brought together when their mother...
- 2/3/2024
- ScreenDaily
Picture Tree International has boarded international sales and debuted the trailer for Miia Tervo’s upcoming comedy “The Missile,” set to world premiere at Göteborg’s just-announced Nordic Competition.
Produced by Finland’s Kaisla Viitala and Daniel Kuitunen (Elokuvayhtio Komeetta) and co-produced by Estonia’s Johanna Paulson and Evelin Penttilä (Stellar Film), the film will be distributed in Scandinavia by Aurora Studios. Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Tommi Korpela, Pyry Kähkönen and Jarkko Niemi are also in the cast.
Tervo’s second feature after the award-winning “Aurora” – which opened the Swedish fest back in 2019 – teases a “uniquely crafted mix of political satire, heartfelt comedy and kitchen-sink drama, rooted in Northern brevity and melancholy,” according to its description.
Starring Oona Airola (pictured above in a first-look image), the film kicks off in Finkand’s Lapland in 1984, when an unexpected Soviet missile incident disrupts the tranquil life of single mother Niina.
Soon, she joins a...
Produced by Finland’s Kaisla Viitala and Daniel Kuitunen (Elokuvayhtio Komeetta) and co-produced by Estonia’s Johanna Paulson and Evelin Penttilä (Stellar Film), the film will be distributed in Scandinavia by Aurora Studios. Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Tommi Korpela, Pyry Kähkönen and Jarkko Niemi are also in the cast.
Tervo’s second feature after the award-winning “Aurora” – which opened the Swedish fest back in 2019 – teases a “uniquely crafted mix of political satire, heartfelt comedy and kitchen-sink drama, rooted in Northern brevity and melancholy,” according to its description.
Starring Oona Airola (pictured above in a first-look image), the film kicks off in Finkand’s Lapland in 1984, when an unexpected Soviet missile incident disrupts the tranquil life of single mother Niina.
Soon, she joins a...
- 1/9/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
"We will find the truth; we will find the culprits." Topic has revealed an official US trailer for a streaming series from Finland titled Helsinki Syndrome, a riff on the classic "Stockholm Syndrome" term. The story involves a crime from the past being connected to a current hostage situation in Finland. Entrepreneur Elias Karo takes four journalists hostage in order to reveal that 30 years ago, a bank manager and a district court judge took his family's possessions with the government's blessing and caused a still ongoing family tragedy. Elias, a working class family man is deeply haunted by the economic strife his family endured in the 90s. To settle a decades-long vendetta, he holds 4 journalists hostage to expose bank and government corruption while concealing an ulterior motive. The series stars Kseniya Peter Franzén, Oona Airola, and Taneli Mäkelä. This definitely looks like a made-for-tv series, but it has an intriguing...
- 1/27/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Sales agency LevelK has unveiled the first clip (below) for Selma Vilhunen’s “Four Little Adults,” set to bow at Intl. Film Festival Rotterdam and then Goteborg. The film sees a happily married couple faced with an affair and then trying to embrace it, welcoming the husband’s lover into their daily routine. And that’s just the beginning.
The film was produced by Tuffi Films and Aurora Films, with Hobab and Manny Films also on board. It stars Eero Milonoff (“Border”) and Alma Pöysti (“Tove”).
“All my life I have been wondering about monogamy. I guess I have been questioning my own choices, what they are based on and whether it’s really the right way to live,” the Finnish filmmaker says.
As the conversations around alternative relationships grew louder, Vilhunen also reached for “More Than Two: A Practical Guide to Ethical Polyamory” by Eve Rickert and Franklin Veaux.
The film was produced by Tuffi Films and Aurora Films, with Hobab and Manny Films also on board. It stars Eero Milonoff (“Border”) and Alma Pöysti (“Tove”).
“All my life I have been wondering about monogamy. I guess I have been questioning my own choices, what they are based on and whether it’s really the right way to live,” the Finnish filmmaker says.
As the conversations around alternative relationships grew louder, Vilhunen also reached for “More Than Two: A Practical Guide to Ethical Polyamory” by Eve Rickert and Franklin Veaux.
- 1/25/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
New film from Selma Vilhunen, who directed 2019 Berlinale Crystal Bear winner ‘Stupid Young Heart’.
LevelK has boarded international sales for Selma Vilhunen’s Four Little Adults, which premieres in Rotterdam’s Big Screen Competition and screens as part of Goteborg’s Nordic Competition.
The Finnish feature stars Alma Pöysti (Tove), Eero Milonoff (Border), Oona Airola (The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Maki) and Pietu Wikström (Girl Picture).
The story is about a woman who discovers her husband is having an affair, and decides to explore polyamory without secrets.
Venla Hellstedt and Elli Toivoniemi produce for Tuffi Films and...
LevelK has boarded international sales for Selma Vilhunen’s Four Little Adults, which premieres in Rotterdam’s Big Screen Competition and screens as part of Goteborg’s Nordic Competition.
The Finnish feature stars Alma Pöysti (Tove), Eero Milonoff (Border), Oona Airola (The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Maki) and Pietu Wikström (Girl Picture).
The story is about a woman who discovers her husband is having an affair, and decides to explore polyamory without secrets.
Venla Hellstedt and Elli Toivoniemi produce for Tuffi Films and...
- 1/17/2023
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
U.S. streaming service Topic has inked an exclusive U.S. and Canadian rights deal with Germany’s Beta Film for four European crime series ahead of this year’s Mipcom TV programming mart in Cannes.
Dedicated to crime and suspense, Topic, part of First Look Entertainment, picked up the third season of critically acclaimed Austrian-German series “Pagan Peak”; Finnish title “Helsinki Syndrome”; “Silent Road” from Greece; and Croatian-Ukrainian co-production “The Silence.”
The agreement also includes renewals of Italian political thriller “1992” and follow-up seasons “1993” and “1994.” Described as Italy’s “House Of Cards,” the show examines how Italian politics were shaken to the core by a major criminal investigation against widespread corruption in the 1990s.
Arriving on the eve of its third anniversary, the deal fortifies Topic’s drive to elevate crime and suspense thrillers from around the globe for its North American subscribers, the company stated.
“Pagan Peak”
Inspired by...
Dedicated to crime and suspense, Topic, part of First Look Entertainment, picked up the third season of critically acclaimed Austrian-German series “Pagan Peak”; Finnish title “Helsinki Syndrome”; “Silent Road” from Greece; and Croatian-Ukrainian co-production “The Silence.”
The agreement also includes renewals of Italian political thriller “1992” and follow-up seasons “1993” and “1994.” Described as Italy’s “House Of Cards,” the show examines how Italian politics were shaken to the core by a major criminal investigation against widespread corruption in the 1990s.
Arriving on the eve of its third anniversary, the deal fortifies Topic’s drive to elevate crime and suspense thrillers from around the globe for its North American subscribers, the company stated.
“Pagan Peak”
Inspired by...
- 10/12/2022
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
The story is about a woman who discovers her husband is having an affair, and decides to explore polyamory without secrets.
Selma Vilhunen has wrapped shooting on her new feature, Four Little Adults. The film stars Alma Pöysti (Tove), Eero Milonoff, and Oona Airola and Pietu Wikström, who both appear in Sundance and Berlinale 2022 selection Girl Picture.
The first image has also been released featuring Pöysti and Milonoff (see above).
The story is about a woman who discovers her husband is having an affair, and decides to explore polyamory without secrets.
The film shot in Helsinki for 31 days and is being readied for a 2023 launch.
Selma Vilhunen has wrapped shooting on her new feature, Four Little Adults. The film stars Alma Pöysti (Tove), Eero Milonoff, and Oona Airola and Pietu Wikström, who both appear in Sundance and Berlinale 2022 selection Girl Picture.
The first image has also been released featuring Pöysti and Milonoff (see above).
The story is about a woman who discovers her husband is having an affair, and decides to explore polyamory without secrets.
The film shot in Helsinki for 31 days and is being readied for a 2023 launch.
- 2/17/2022
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Ilkka Saastamoinen. Girl Picture Review — Girl Picture (2022) Film Review from the 45th Annual Sundance Film Festival, a movie directed by Alli Haapasalo, starring Aamu Milonoff, Eleonoora Kauhanen, Linnea Leino, Oona Airola, Mikko Kauppila, Elias Westerberg, Oksana Lommi, Jantsu Puumalainen, and Henrikki Haavisto. The [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Girl Picture: The Complexities of Adolescence Shine Through an Otherwise Typical Teen Drama [Sundance 2022]...
Continue reading: Film Review: Girl Picture: The Complexities of Adolescence Shine Through an Otherwise Typical Teen Drama [Sundance 2022]...
- 2/6/2022
- by Jacob Mouradian
- Film-Book
Though this year’s Sundance Film Festival is going virtual-only for the second time in a row, that doesn’t mean there still isn’t plenty to be excited about. While buzzy, star-driven titles like Lena Dunham’s “Sharp Stick” and Phyllis Nagy’s “Call Jane” put women’s issues front and center, there are more than a few under-the-radar titles that also consider love and sexuality from a female viewpoint. Case in point: “Girl Picture,” the Sundance World Cinema Dramatic competition entry from Finnish director Alli Haapasalo.
The film, centered on the experiences of three young women coming of age and into love and sex, premieres January 24 as part of the Sundance lineup. Exclusive to IndieWire, watch the electric first trailer below.
Here’s the official synopsis: “Best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö have each other’s backs, always. They want to live adventurous lives, loaded with experiences and passion.
The film, centered on the experiences of three young women coming of age and into love and sex, premieres January 24 as part of the Sundance lineup. Exclusive to IndieWire, watch the electric first trailer below.
Here’s the official synopsis: “Best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö have each other’s backs, always. They want to live adventurous lives, loaded with experiences and passion.
- 1/6/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Following his 2016 Un Certain Regard win with “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki,” Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen is back in Cannes with “Compartment No. 6,” and this time, in the main competition. Inspired by Rosa Liksom’s book, it follows two strangers on a train to Murmansk, Russia: a young Finnish woman, dreaming of seeing ancient petroglyphs, and a Russian miner.
The action takes place on the train for most of the story. What were the challenges of staying in a confined space?
We departed from St. Petersburg and shot on the train for almost two weeks. But we didn’t go all the way to Murmansk, even though that was our first idea.
One obvious reference point was Wolfgang Petersen’s “Das Boot.” It might have been easier to shoot in some studio, but it just wouldn’t look that convincing. All these corridors and compartments, these are really small places.
The action takes place on the train for most of the story. What were the challenges of staying in a confined space?
We departed from St. Petersburg and shot on the train for almost two weeks. But we didn’t go all the way to Murmansk, even though that was our first idea.
One obvious reference point was Wolfgang Petersen’s “Das Boot.” It might have been easier to shoot in some studio, but it just wouldn’t look that convincing. All these corridors and compartments, these are really small places.
- 7/11/2021
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
A new TV series will chart the rise and fall of Finnish cell phone company Nokia.
Rabbit Films has begun production on “Mobile 1.0” (working title), a six-part scripted drama that explores the meteoric rise of Nokia to become the world’s leading manufacturer of mobile phones before a dramatic fall from grace.
The Finnish and English-language series, shot in Finland and the U.S., will launch in early 2022 on Scandinavian streamer C More, with a linear premiere to follow on MTV3. C More has also picked up the first-window VOD rights for the Nordic and Baltic regions. Rabbit Films is handling international distribution.
“Mobile 1.0” is the first account of the Finnish electronics company’s expansion from a small business into a global player in the mobile phone industry, beating huge established brands. The first season will focus on the years 1988-1990, when technology for mobile phones was in its infancy.
Rabbit Films has begun production on “Mobile 1.0” (working title), a six-part scripted drama that explores the meteoric rise of Nokia to become the world’s leading manufacturer of mobile phones before a dramatic fall from grace.
The Finnish and English-language series, shot in Finland and the U.S., will launch in early 2022 on Scandinavian streamer C More, with a linear premiere to follow on MTV3. C More has also picked up the first-window VOD rights for the Nordic and Baltic regions. Rabbit Films is handling international distribution.
“Mobile 1.0” is the first account of the Finnish electronics company’s expansion from a small business into a global player in the mobile phone industry, beating huge established brands. The first season will focus on the years 1988-1990, when technology for mobile phones was in its infancy.
- 4/20/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
"Dogs don't stand on two feet." Rlje has released an official US trailer for the extra kinky Bdsm film from Finland titled Dogs Don't Wear Pants, which first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year in the Directors' Fortnight sidebar. It also stopped by the Toronto Strasbourg, Sitges, and Helsinki Film Festivals last fall. Described as an "affecting and absurd dramedy", Dogs Don't Wear Pants is about a guilt-stricken widower who discovers that a demanding dominatrix might be able to give him the therapy he needs. A film about how brutal Bdsm and pup play might actually be the therapy certain people need. Starring Pekka Strang, Krista Kosonen, Ester Geislerová, Ilona Huhta, Jani Volanen, and Oona Airola. With so much funky and awkward footage, they can cut together such kinky and amusing trailers for this film. And even if you don't like Bdsm (or maybe you do?), you may be into this film anyway.
- 8/24/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
"I've met a nice lady." Time to get kinky. Tiff has debuted an international promo trailer for the Finnish film Dogs Don't Wear Pants, which first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year in the Directors' Fortnight sidebar, and is showing in Toronto next month. Described as an "affecting and absurd dramedy", Dogs Don't Wear Pants is about a guilt-stricken widower who discovers that a demanding dominatrix might be able to give him the therapy he needs. A film about how brutal Bdsm and pup play might actually be the therapy certain people need. Starring Pekka Strang, Krista Kosonen, Ester Geislerová, Ilona Huhta, Jani Volanen, and Oona Airola. This funky Finnish film is still seeking international distribution after Cannes, and hopefully a few brave cinephiles will give it a look up in Toronto. I love the title, and from this trailer the awkward comedy seems to elevate this story in just the right way.
- 8/25/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
A Finnish party girl falls in love with an Iranian refugee in “Aurora,” an enjoyable dramedy from helmer-writer Miia Tervo. Unspooling during snowy winter in rugged Finnish Lapland, the exuberant narrative cleverly exploits the location and unconventional characters to add something fresh to familiar romantic comedy beats. Despite its raucous surface and frequently risqué Finnish culture jokes, the film is suffused with tenderness and melancholy. Moreover, it poignantly addresses some big themes — including the plight of asylum seekers and female alcoholism — while capturing the feelings of restlessness derived from being stuck in a remote place with a lack of opportunity. After opening the recent Göteborg Film Festival, it will make its U.S. premiere at SXSW in March.
Like her namesake, the northern lights, the eponymous twentysomething is a force of nature. Aurora is a wild, commitment-phobic, good-time girl with a drinking problem that she denies. She’s fed up...
Like her namesake, the northern lights, the eponymous twentysomething is a force of nature. Aurora is a wild, commitment-phobic, good-time girl with a drinking problem that she denies. She’s fed up...
- 2/10/2019
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Miia Tervo’s Finnish romantic comedy “Aurora” has been acquired by international sales company LevelK ahead of its world premiere in competition at the Goteborg Film Festival.
Set to open the fest, “Aurora” marks Tervo’s feature debut. The film, a comedy-drama set in the snowy Finnish region of Lapland, tells the story of a commitment-phobic, heavy-drinking party girl, Aurora, who meets Darian, an Iranian refugee seeking asylum for him and his daughter. The two of them agree to help each other in unconventional but vital ways that will shape their respective futures.
“I wanted to do a quality film with silly and warm humor…with some honest dark shades and romantic comedy…to show the inner reality of a young woman in the Arctic ghetto coping with inherited barriers against love and life,” said Tervo.
The director said she also aimed to show “Northern magic instead of superimposed exoticism...
Set to open the fest, “Aurora” marks Tervo’s feature debut. The film, a comedy-drama set in the snowy Finnish region of Lapland, tells the story of a commitment-phobic, heavy-drinking party girl, Aurora, who meets Darian, an Iranian refugee seeking asylum for him and his daughter. The two of them agree to help each other in unconventional but vital ways that will shape their respective futures.
“I wanted to do a quality film with silly and warm humor…with some honest dark shades and romantic comedy…to show the inner reality of a young woman in the Arctic ghetto coping with inherited barriers against love and life,” said Tervo.
The director said she also aimed to show “Northern magic instead of superimposed exoticism...
- 1/10/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Close-Up is a column that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. Juho Kuosmanen's The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki (2016) is playing July 1 - August 1, 2017 exclusively on Mubi in the United States.The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki is a subtle bait-and-switch of a film, but that’s okay. Certain generic conventions imply that it will head in a certain direction, but I don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler to tell you that it doesn’t. In fact, the refusal of Olli Mäki—the film and the man—to play by the rules is the most interesting thing it has going for it. The man, like the film, has a very clear trajectory mapped out in front of him, and a super-human form of concentration—the kind that makes “winners”—is demanded of him. Instead, Olli prefers to live a life of distraction,...
- 7/1/2017
- MUBI
Chicago – As a film set in 1962, shot on glorious black & white 16mm stock, “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki” has both a feeling that it was made back then, and a timelessness that radiates from that quality. The film is about a boxer, but his heart turns out to be the champion.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
This is based on an actual event, the 1962 Featherweight boxing championship that took place in Finland, between the title character Olli Mäki and American Davey Moore. Although the match is the centerpiece, the story is about young love, and how it can be more important than the “biggest thing ever.” The dichotomy between the two factors is the engine of the plot, and creates a nice meditation on life’s priorities – similar to what happens in “Rocky” – and truer to a spirit of what transpires in real life. This is a hidden gem, which won awards at Cannes,...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
This is based on an actual event, the 1962 Featherweight boxing championship that took place in Finland, between the title character Olli Mäki and American Davey Moore. Although the match is the centerpiece, the story is about young love, and how it can be more important than the “biggest thing ever.” The dichotomy between the two factors is the engine of the plot, and creates a nice meditation on life’s priorities – similar to what happens in “Rocky” – and truer to a spirit of what transpires in real life. This is a hidden gem, which won awards at Cannes,...
- 5/9/2017
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
A charming tale about a featherweight uncomfortable with the unexpected burden of being a national hero
Set in the 1960s and shot in black and white on gorgeous, grainy 16mm, Juho Kuosmanen’s charming slice-of-life drama is a warm, welcome sideways look at the Finnish featherweight boxing champion Olli Mäki. Kuosmanen’s camera follows Mäki (Jarrko Lahti) documentary-style, keeping pace while he trains for a high-profile fight with an American opponent and embarks on the ensuing publicity tour. But the ever-modest Mäki is uncomfortable with his newfound status as national hero, and would prefer to spend his off-time with girlfriend, Raija (Oona Airola, lovely and low key). The film is at its most fun outside the ring and spending time with the couple: at a wedding in the rural village of Kokkola; night swimming; she riding on the handlebars of his bike and laughing.
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Set in the 1960s and shot in black and white on gorgeous, grainy 16mm, Juho Kuosmanen’s charming slice-of-life drama is a warm, welcome sideways look at the Finnish featherweight boxing champion Olli Mäki. Kuosmanen’s camera follows Mäki (Jarrko Lahti) documentary-style, keeping pace while he trains for a high-profile fight with an American opponent and embarks on the ensuing publicity tour. But the ever-modest Mäki is uncomfortable with his newfound status as national hero, and would prefer to spend his off-time with girlfriend, Raija (Oona Airola, lovely and low key). The film is at its most fun outside the ring and spending time with the couple: at a wedding in the rural village of Kokkola; night swimming; she riding on the handlebars of his bike and laughing.
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- 4/23/2017
- by Simran Hans
- The Guardian - Film News
A lighthearted Finnish comedy-drama about a real-life boxer, a biopic of Chile’s national hero and a gruesome yet beautiful cannibal horror
Gentle Finnish comedy-drama about real-life featherweight contender Olli Mäki (Jarkko Lahti) who in 1962 challenged the Us title-holder. If only he could take his eyes off the delightful Raija (Oona Airola), he might actually be in with a chance. Like Olli himself, this whimsical film is as light as a feather without ever feeling inconsequential.
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Gentle Finnish comedy-drama about real-life featherweight contender Olli Mäki (Jarkko Lahti) who in 1962 challenged the Us title-holder. If only he could take his eyes off the delightful Raija (Oona Airola), he might actually be in with a chance. Like Olli himself, this whimsical film is as light as a feather without ever feeling inconsequential.
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- 4/21/2017
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
The story of a Finnish boxer taking on a big-shot Us star on home turf is the basis for this strange and wonderful comedy
Here is a treat and a delight: this lovely film from Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen is a gentle, shrewd, somehow mysterious love story, based on real life, beautifully photographed in luminous black-and-white and drawing inspiration from Scorsese and Truffaut. It is inspired by the Finnish boxer Olli Mäki, who electrified Finland’s boxing fans in 1962 by getting a shot at the world featherweight title, fighting on home turf against visiting American star Davey Moore. It is to be the greatest day of his life – but not for the reasons he might once have thought.
The movie has Jarkko Lahti playing the intense, wiry Olli, who finds that as the big fight approaches, he has fallen in love with a beautiful young schoolteacher, Raija (Oona Airola) – to...
Here is a treat and a delight: this lovely film from Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen is a gentle, shrewd, somehow mysterious love story, based on real life, beautifully photographed in luminous black-and-white and drawing inspiration from Scorsese and Truffaut. It is inspired by the Finnish boxer Olli Mäki, who electrified Finland’s boxing fans in 1962 by getting a shot at the world featherweight title, fighting on home turf against visiting American star Davey Moore. It is to be the greatest day of his life – but not for the reasons he might once have thought.
The movie has Jarkko Lahti playing the intense, wiry Olli, who finds that as the big fight approaches, he has fallen in love with a beautiful young schoolteacher, Raija (Oona Airola) – to...
- 4/20/2017
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Author: Stefan Pape
As a sub-genre, few are quite as consistently triumphant as boxing movies, thriving in notion of the underdog, surviving off that very concept that in that ring anything is possible, and no matter how much your back is against the ropes, no matter how many times you may be saved by the bell – one moment of magic and the contest could be turned in your favour. Finnish drama The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki revels in this very idea, based on a real life story that pitted an outside bet against a safe one – told in a uniquely Scandinavian way, where romance takes precedence over the archetypal sports narrative.
Set in 1962, we meet Olli Maki (Jarkko Lahti), the modest, self-effacing boxer awarded a shot at the World Featherweight title against Davey Moore (John Bosco Jr.) by his eager trainer, and self-imposed promoter Elis Ask (Eero Milonoff). A huge deal,...
As a sub-genre, few are quite as consistently triumphant as boxing movies, thriving in notion of the underdog, surviving off that very concept that in that ring anything is possible, and no matter how much your back is against the ropes, no matter how many times you may be saved by the bell – one moment of magic and the contest could be turned in your favour. Finnish drama The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki revels in this very idea, based on a real life story that pitted an outside bet against a safe one – told in a uniquely Scandinavian way, where romance takes precedence over the archetypal sports narrative.
Set in 1962, we meet Olli Maki (Jarkko Lahti), the modest, self-effacing boxer awarded a shot at the World Featherweight title against Davey Moore (John Bosco Jr.) by his eager trainer, and self-imposed promoter Elis Ask (Eero Milonoff). A huge deal,...
- 4/19/2017
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Boxing drama wins eight prizes including best film.
Period boxing drama The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Maki dominated the field at Friday’s Jussi Awards (Mar 24), Finland’s primary national film awards.
The film, which debuted at Cannes Film Festival 2016 in Un Certain Regard and was Finland’s submission in last year’s foreign language Oscar race, scooped half of the 16 awards on the night, including best picture.
It also took best director for Juho Kuosmanen, best actor for Jarkko Lahti, best supporting actress for Oona Airola, best editing for Jussi Rautaniemi, costume design for Sari Suominen, cinematography for J-p Passi, and make-up for Salla Yli-Luopa.
Elsewhere, drama The Mine won best screenplay for Pekko Pesonen and best supporting actor for Jani Volanen. Best actress went to Linnea Skog for Little Wing, and best documentary was presented to Katja Gauriloff’s Kaisa’s Enchanted Forest.
Best production design went to Santtu Toivola for Flowers...
Period boxing drama The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Maki dominated the field at Friday’s Jussi Awards (Mar 24), Finland’s primary national film awards.
The film, which debuted at Cannes Film Festival 2016 in Un Certain Regard and was Finland’s submission in last year’s foreign language Oscar race, scooped half of the 16 awards on the night, including best picture.
It also took best director for Juho Kuosmanen, best actor for Jarkko Lahti, best supporting actress for Oona Airola, best editing for Jussi Rautaniemi, costume design for Sari Suominen, cinematography for J-p Passi, and make-up for Salla Yli-Luopa.
Elsewhere, drama The Mine won best screenplay for Pekko Pesonen and best supporting actor for Jani Volanen. Best actress went to Linnea Skog for Little Wing, and best documentary was presented to Katja Gauriloff’s Kaisa’s Enchanted Forest.
Best production design went to Santtu Toivola for Flowers...
- 3/27/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
It’s not two genres you’d necessarily think of being a perfect blend — boxing and romance — but Juho Kuosmanen got it just right with his feature debut, “The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Mäki.” The film picked up an Un Certain Regard award at Cannes last year, and after hitting a slew of festivals, it’s now gearing up to hit cinemas.
Read More: Cannes Review: Juho Kuosmanen’s Modest, Minor Key ‘The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Mäki’
Starring Jarkko Lahti, Oona Airola, and Eero Milonoff, the film tells the true story of the Finnish boxer who wins the heart of his country as he gears up for a featherweight championship fight against his U.S.
Continue reading New Trailer For Cannes Winning, Boxing Romance ‘The Happiest Day In The Life of Olli Mäki’ at The Playlist.
Read More: Cannes Review: Juho Kuosmanen’s Modest, Minor Key ‘The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Mäki’
Starring Jarkko Lahti, Oona Airola, and Eero Milonoff, the film tells the true story of the Finnish boxer who wins the heart of his country as he gears up for a featherweight championship fight against his U.S.
Continue reading New Trailer For Cannes Winning, Boxing Romance ‘The Happiest Day In The Life of Olli Mäki’ at The Playlist.
- 3/7/2017
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
"Could you box for the camera? Look cruel." Mubi has premiered an official Us trailer for the Finnish film The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki, which critics have been raving about since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year. The film won the Grand Jury prize in Un Certain Regard, and went on to play at a bunch of other film festivals. Jarkko Lahti stars as Olli Mäki, and the film tells the true story of the famous Finnish boxer who fought American featherweight world champion Davey Moore for the 1962 title. This was shot entirely on 16mm black & white film, which looks great. The full cast includes Oona Airola as his love interest Raija, plus Eero Milonoff, Joanna Haartti, Pia Andersson, and the real Olli Mäki in a cameo role. I've heard nothing but superb things about this, and I can't wait to see it myself.
- 3/7/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
After premiering at Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Un Certain Regard Prize, Juho Kuosmanen‘s debut feature The Happiest Day In the Life of Olli Mäki went on to become Finland’s Oscar entry, and now it’ll get a U.S. release this spring courtesy of Mubi. Following a Finnish boxer whose newfound romance gets in the way of his training for a major fight, a U.S. trailer has now arrived and it looks to stunningly-photographed drama, all in black-and-white.
We said in our review, “The Happiest Day In the Life of Olli Mäki is a boxing biopic that has no interest in the sport of boxing. Winner of the Un Certain Regard prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Juho Kuosmanen’s dryly funny, blissfully sweet, and deceptively absorbing work revels in Olli Mäki’s psychological surroundings as he contends with the strangeness of national promotion,...
We said in our review, “The Happiest Day In the Life of Olli Mäki is a boxing biopic that has no interest in the sport of boxing. Winner of the Un Certain Regard prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Juho Kuosmanen’s dryly funny, blissfully sweet, and deceptively absorbing work revels in Olli Mäki’s psychological surroundings as he contends with the strangeness of national promotion,...
- 3/6/2017
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
By Jose Solís.
In 1962, a young Finnish boxer faced featherweight champion of the world Davey Moore in a match that would go down in sports history as one of the most bittersweet for the tiny European country. Director Juho Kuosmanen has captured the event from the perspective of the challenger (played by Jarkko Lahti in a breakthrough) who finds himself vanishing among the excitement and pressure of the fight. The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Mäki is a bittersweet tale about our need to create larger than life personalities that help us fulfill our desires, but fail to fulfill those who are actually participating in the experience. We see the sensitive, but quiet, Olli light up when he’s with his girlfriend Raija (Oona Airola), even though his manager Eelis (Eero Milonoff) suggests she will only make him lose the fight. Despite that the film is about a boxer,...
In 1962, a young Finnish boxer faced featherweight champion of the world Davey Moore in a match that would go down in sports history as one of the most bittersweet for the tiny European country. Director Juho Kuosmanen has captured the event from the perspective of the challenger (played by Jarkko Lahti in a breakthrough) who finds himself vanishing among the excitement and pressure of the fight. The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Mäki is a bittersweet tale about our need to create larger than life personalities that help us fulfill our desires, but fail to fulfill those who are actually participating in the experience. We see the sensitive, but quiet, Olli light up when he’s with his girlfriend Raija (Oona Airola), even though his manager Eelis (Eero Milonoff) suggests she will only make him lose the fight. Despite that the film is about a boxer,...
- 12/6/2016
- by Jose
- FilmExperience
The Happiest Day In the Life of Olli Mäki is a boxing biopic that has no interest in the sport of boxing. Winner of the Un Certain Regard prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Juho Kuosmanen’s dryly funny, blissfully sweet, and deceptively absorbing work revels in Olli Mäki’s psychological surroundings as he contends with the strangeness of national promotion, the accruing pressures of competing, and a burgeoning romance that’s feeling more permanent than he expected.
Mäki (played by Jarkko Lahti) was a Finnish boxer who had a shot at the 1962 title when he faced American champion Davey Moore (John Bosco Jr.). Kuosmanen’s film drops in on Mäki shortly before the title fight when Mäki comes home to a small town for a family wedding and meets his future girlfriend, Raija (a deeply charismatic Oona Airola), the singer at said wedding. From these opening minutes,...
Mäki (played by Jarkko Lahti) was a Finnish boxer who had a shot at the 1962 title when he faced American champion Davey Moore (John Bosco Jr.). Kuosmanen’s film drops in on Mäki shortly before the title fight when Mäki comes home to a small town for a family wedding and meets his future girlfriend, Raija (a deeply charismatic Oona Airola), the singer at said wedding. From these opening minutes,...
- 11/4/2016
- by Michael Snydel
- The Film Stage
The boxing drama won the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes this year.
Juho Kuosmanen’s Cannes Un Certain Regard winner The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Maki is the Finnish submission for the foreign-language Oscar race.
Kuosmanen, who made his feature directorial debut on the boxing drama, also wrote the original screenplay with Mikko Myllylahti. Jussi Rantamäki produced for Helsinki’s Aamu Film Company.
The film will also screen in Toronto International Film Festival’s Discovery section before playing at the BFI London Film Festival.
B-Plan Distribution released in Finland on Sept 2. Les Films du Losange handles international sales; Mubi acquired Us and UK theatrical and digital rights.
The film, inspired by real events, is about featherweight boxer Olli Mäki, who is distracted on the day of his world championship bout because he’s fallen in love. The cast features Jarkko Lahti, Oona Airola and Eero Milonoff.
The film shot...
Juho Kuosmanen’s Cannes Un Certain Regard winner The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Maki is the Finnish submission for the foreign-language Oscar race.
Kuosmanen, who made his feature directorial debut on the boxing drama, also wrote the original screenplay with Mikko Myllylahti. Jussi Rantamäki produced for Helsinki’s Aamu Film Company.
The film will also screen in Toronto International Film Festival’s Discovery section before playing at the BFI London Film Festival.
B-Plan Distribution released in Finland on Sept 2. Les Films du Losange handles international sales; Mubi acquired Us and UK theatrical and digital rights.
The film, inspired by real events, is about featherweight boxer Olli Mäki, who is distracted on the day of his world championship bout because he’s fallen in love. The cast features Jarkko Lahti, Oona Airola and Eero Milonoff.
The film shot...
- 9/5/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
★★★★☆ The winner of this year's Un Certain Regard prize, The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki is Juho Kuosmanen's chronicle of a Finnish pugilist. A unique and beautiful boxing movie shot on 16mm in black and white, it's like Wild Strawberries meets Raging Bull - though the bull isn't so much raging as in love. Olli Mäki (Jarkko Lahti) is a humble baker, an affable and resourceful man who seems a million miles away from the ferocity and Eye of the Tiger attitude you'd normally associate with boxing. Indeed, we first see him escorting a girl, Raija (Oona Airola), to a wedding he's totally unprepared for.
- 5/23/2016
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Captain Fantastic’s Matt Ross wins director prize; animation The Red Turtle wins special prize.Scroll down for full list of winners
Finnish boxer drama The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Maki, directed by Juho Kuosmanen, has won the Un Certain Regard prize at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.
Review: The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Maki
After two Cinefondation-selected shorts, Kuosmanen has made his feature debut with this film inspired by the real life of Olli Maki, the first Finn to fight for the world championship in featherweight boxing, who is distracted by his first love on the day of the big fight.
Jarkko Lahti, Oona Airola and Eero Milonoff star in the black-and-white film, which shot on 16mm. B-Plan will release in Finland in September, with theatrical releases also secured for Germany, France and Denmark.
The Finland-Germany-Sweden co-production is produced by Aamu Film Company, One Two Films...
Finnish boxer drama The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Maki, directed by Juho Kuosmanen, has won the Un Certain Regard prize at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.
Review: The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Maki
After two Cinefondation-selected shorts, Kuosmanen has made his feature debut with this film inspired by the real life of Olli Maki, the first Finn to fight for the world championship in featherweight boxing, who is distracted by his first love on the day of the big fight.
Jarkko Lahti, Oona Airola and Eero Milonoff star in the black-and-white film, which shot on 16mm. B-Plan will release in Finland in September, with theatrical releases also secured for Germany, France and Denmark.
The Finland-Germany-Sweden co-production is produced by Aamu Film Company, One Two Films...
- 5/21/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
"The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki" directed by Juho Kuosmanen is an upcoming film that will be screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Indiewire has your exclusive first look at the new trailer and poster for the Finnish movie that will have you smiling. The black and white feature is based on the true story of the Finnish boxer Olli Mäki and his highly hyped 1962 championship match against the American featherweight champion Davey Moore. The film follows Olli as he unexpectedly falls in love and becomes more committed to pursuing a budding romance than training for his greatest fight. Read More: 2016 Cannes Film Festival: What You Need To Know About These 6 Un Certain Regard Titles The movie stars Jarkko Lahti as Olli, Oona Airola as Raija, Eero Milonoff and John Bosco Jr. The poster shows Olli in the bottom corner concentrated...
- 5/6/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Cinefondation winner Juho Kuosmanen makes his feature debut with the Finnish-German-Swedish co-production.
Les Films du Losange has come on board for world sales of Juho Kuosmanen’s debut feature The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Mäki, which has been confirmed to premiere in Cannes Un Certain Regard.
The Finnish-German-Swedish co-production is produced by Aamu Film Company, One Two Films, Tre Vänner and Film Väst.
Backers include the Finnish Film Foundation, Nordic Film & TV Fund, Yle, and Sr/Arte. The project was developed at the Ateliers d’Angers and the Torino Film Lab.
The story is based on the real life of Olli Maki, the Finnish boxer who competes for the featherweight boxing title in 1962, but is distracted by his first love. Jarkko Lahti, Oona Airola and Eero Milonoff lead the cast.
The black-and-white film is shot in 16mm.
Kuosmanen won the Cannes Cinefondation First Prize in 2010 with his short The Painting Sellers.
“Juho is very...
Les Films du Losange has come on board for world sales of Juho Kuosmanen’s debut feature The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Mäki, which has been confirmed to premiere in Cannes Un Certain Regard.
The Finnish-German-Swedish co-production is produced by Aamu Film Company, One Two Films, Tre Vänner and Film Väst.
Backers include the Finnish Film Foundation, Nordic Film & TV Fund, Yle, and Sr/Arte. The project was developed at the Ateliers d’Angers and the Torino Film Lab.
The story is based on the real life of Olli Maki, the Finnish boxer who competes for the featherweight boxing title in 1962, but is distracted by his first love. Jarkko Lahti, Oona Airola and Eero Milonoff lead the cast.
The black-and-white film is shot in 16mm.
Kuosmanen won the Cannes Cinefondation First Prize in 2010 with his short The Painting Sellers.
“Juho is very...
- 4/16/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
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