Discoveries from Finland World Cinema

The story of an aging, alcoholic rock musician who lives with his daughter and dreams of returning to the stage.

Short documentary about sibling violence

The average adult makes about 35 000 remotely conscious decisions each day. Each decision carries certain consequences – both good and bad. Even if it’s just about a box of cookies.

A black comedy about the dysfunctional relationships, love, and hate; concerning a small town sausage factory manager whose careless love affairs affect the lives of the factory workers as well as the women in his life.

A commissioned film about petroleum refining processes

A young man finds himself in conflict with military order and purpose.

A child acquires a magical video game that he uses to influence the world around him.

A hobo saves a teen boy from his bullies. The Hobo and the Boy will have a special relationship, which includes some boiled eggs and a time machine.

A single mother struggles to connect with her adopted son, who she believes is gay. Her assumptions about her son's needs and desires lead to a cascading series of calamities.

Pekka tries to accomplish absolute equality in one day.

Out into the big wide world as fast as possible. That’s Elli’s plan. But where should she get the money from, if not steal it? When Heze falls for her, she steals from him and both have to learn: “Adulthood is a big pain in the arse”.

Hungover Eden's day gets a twist when she goes on an imaginary date with Kasper from a dating app. Eden and Kasper take each other through imaginary worlds full of neon and romance. Will Eden figure out Kasper's secret along the way?

Kun painuvi päät (As the Heads Bow Down) is a documentary about the 1918 Civil War in Finland.

Number ??? Life on a Scale of 0 to 10 is a sketch and an outline of feelings.

A rookie detective investigates a reported sight of an armed man in the woods.

Matti Hunttala is a businessman who buys, sells, exchanges, and steals—whatever best suits his plans. The men of Hukansalmi municipality do not suspect Hunttala's grand promises. Business representative Koistinen, municipal manager Kiiskinen, and bank manager Ruotsalainen believe they have met someone who can boost the municipality's poor economy and factory projects. Hunttala buys Hukanharju from the municipality for free, promising to build factories there to create jobs for the municipality, but Hunttala sells the ridge to the gravel magnate and flees Hukansalmi himself.

The military farce, directed by Lasse Pöysti, is based on Joel Laikka's novel. The illiterate Nieminen, who starts his military service through mischief and being tempted by other rookies, causes confusion in the barracks. At the behest of colonel, attempts are made to teach him in different ways - the women of the locality are also interested in teaching. Soon Nieminen will be the competing with sergeant major Vasikainen for the affections of the colonel's cook Vieno.

Based on a short story by Johannes Linnankoski. A story of a milkmaid that falls in love with a student on holiday

Low key documentary recording the daily life of an elderly blind man in Russia.

Valtteri and Sepe, two ordinary white-collar guys from southern Finland drive up north to implement a plan they've been hatching for months. Because they simply love the taste of lamb, baked "robber-style" in a hole dug under a campfire, they forge their car's number plates and other important documents just to be able to poach sheep grazing on the roadside without getting caught. Lots of man talk around the campfire, aided by lots of booze. The summer may be wet, but the vodka is definitely dry.

Two artists from different cultures on a winter trip to the famous wine region of La Rioja in northern Spain. One of the men, composer Ignacio, who lives in Finland, is traumatized by guilt over his daughter's car accident; she is in an induced coma in a hospital in Helsinki and will be awakened within 10 days.

A young pastor feels attracted to Martin, a fisherman, and his fiancée Raili. Martin, in turn, is in love with Paula, a shop assistant at a beach store. Jealousy and guilt drive these men, entangled in their relationships, to extreme actions.

Every day of his life a man digs a ditch.

A documentary following a day in Urho Kekkonen's life as the president of Finland.

Documentary about Finnish rap-duo JVG. In addition to the unprecedented video footage recorded over a ten-year period, the film features JVG and the background influencers, family members, and friends who built its story.

Pipsa catches the theater bug. The schoolgirl becomes obsessed with acting, which causes suffering for the whole family. Pipsa's brother Olli arranges performances for his sister and collects money for a poor war widow.

After naval sergeant Pekka Kuusisto runs into his old crush, nurse Leila, she stays on his mind as he embarks on a submarine combat exercise.

An adaptation of Frans Eemil Sillanpää's novel of the same title. Only a fragment of this film survives.

An inward little town in Finland transforms into a melting pot of nationalities, religions and cultures when Finnish Basketball Federation opens the borders for foreign players. The Board of a local team puts all their eggs in the new season trebling their budget. Unknowingly it hires an uneasy twosome as the new manager and new coach for the team. The airlift from America, Europe and even Africa hauls in player after player when the coach burns the money that never realizes. The tragicomic efforts of the manager to gather the unrealistic budget and even to find a washing-machine for the players evolve into an anatomy of inflamed working environment. The manager's power-struggle with the coach has a bitter end where there's only space for one of them in the town. The player-candidates come with high hopes and end up being the pawns in the game. Their life among the locals create absurd encounters that originate from all walks of life.

Joy the Magic Clown’s faith in herself is being tested. But if you can’t believe in yourself, how can you believe in magic?

Evi, Finland’s most experienced karaoke hostess, wants to hug her customers’ pain away. With thousands of bars and kilometres behind her, yet again she packs her equipment and travels through the northern landscapes of Finland. Toni, the shyest guy in the world, catches everyone’s eye on the stage. Kari is searching for love and sings in his empty karaoke car repair shop. Elina can hardly walk because of Parkinson’s, but punk songs make her dance. Laura sings because talking is too painful. Karaoke Paradise is a story of how the Finns have found a unique way out of loneliness.

An alcoholic man is forced to come to grips with a society when he's taken into custody.

Lotat is a Finnish Documentary about the Lotta Svärd, a Finnish voluntary auxiliary paramilitary organization for women.

A story about clever and courageous children who decide to start their own school in the small village of Viiritsa. The children teach each other. It is the early 20th century. The children are led by 9-year-old Valo, who, together with his friend Ville and the other children in the village, teaches the village children to read and write. But not all adults approve of the children's initiative.

At the eve of Crimean war orphaned Regina lives with her grandmother in a small cabin near a lavish villa. As the summer approaches there is great anticipation of a big ball to be held.

A group of kids goes on an adventure to help their scientist friend.

Two guys love the some girl who just plays with their feelings. Situation damages the friendship of these men and they are tormented as the girl doesn't love back.

Apulanta's historic ice rink concerts at Barona Arena in Espoo on January 9-10, 2015, will be released on a live DVD at the end of February. In addition to the concert itself, the DVD includes behind-the-scenes extras and a new music video. 1) Why can't I sleep? 2) Eyeball 3) Aggression 4) Barcodes 5) Ten Up 6) God 7) Too Much 8) Bad Person 9) Turn It Off 10) Shake Before Use 11) Worm 12) Pihtiote 13) Zombies! 14) Monday 15) Photograph 16) Mex-tex cowboy 17) You made us beautiful 18) Mercy 19) Lost in the machine 20) 0010 21) Against my face 22) Filth 23) Day after day 24) Wisdom does not dwell in us 25) Joy 26) Worse than each other 27) Sand 28) Waiting 29) How are you? 30) A hundred summers 31) In your case 32) Give me a whip.

President Kekkonen's skiing trip in January 1957 begins in Taipalsaari. From there, the President skis towards Puumala along the frozen Lake Saimaa. From Puumala the journey continues to Ryhälä and from there on to Sulkava and Savonlinna. Another of the President's ski trips was recorded by film cameras in late winter 1957 in Kainuu.

One rainy night, a lonely man, our hero, is sitting alone in a dark room and wondering about his mysterious job concerning a woman.

A documentary by Kati Juurus.

Colonel Carolus von Haestman, presumed dead by his family, awakens from his deathbed and sets out to find his childhood sweetheart, Amelie. His children and grandchildren, in turn, set out to find the runaway lovers. In the end, the funeral turns into a wedding and honeymoon.

A young boy in the 1950's sees a car for the first time. This brief moment turns out to be something not so easy to forget.

A group of neighbours, each focused on their own goals, must learn to communicate and consider one another. But when small, everyday actions trigger unexpected consequences, they are forced into interactions that challenge their independence.

A small mole is looking for a fallen star in the night forest where everyone else seem to have already found their own treasures.

A story about two women who find a suspicious shampoo bottle in the public showers. After learning that there is nothing questionable about the shampoo, they decide to play a practical joke that has unexpected consequenses.

Experimental narrative dealing with female oppression/class control. Controversial at time, especially among feminists.

On her way home from an evening shift at a men's clothing store, Saara Nevanen is raped by a man whom she recognizes as her regular but eccentric customer, Antti Kaironen. The doctor and policemen question Saara in an insensitive manner,and she breaks down with guilt. When the court releases the perpetrator inlack of evidence, Saara's aggressive brother Jari talks her mild-mannered husband Sakari into a self-made revenge plot. Armed with two rifles, Jari and Sakari take matters into their own hands.

Feature film made as a graduation work from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts.

Circus Tuomento is a documentary about Finland's most famous tightrope walker, Antti Tuomento (b.1968). After the tragic break of his circus career, he focuses on building his own city. About a dozen fascinating, organic buildings have been made in the garden. The city with its museum, church and theater can be seen as an attempt to take fate into one's own hands – and to build an entire alternative world. The second narrator of the film, Antti's father, novel writer Matti Tuomento (1933-2016), lived with the weight of his own failed career as an artist, his repulsion towards fatherhood and his own childhood trauma. He poured his own childhood trauma and artistic collapse over his family. Trauma, which has moved from one generation to the next, has now turned into Antti's fascinating city. It is one of the most important art environments in our country. Antti has declared the city of Pelimannimäki as an independent kingdom.

Hound tells the story of a young child who is desperately trying to survive in a dark, abandoned city. Huge dog as her only comfort the duo not only need to find food but also have to escape the monster that is trailing them.

"This is like Spinal Tap, but for real". A film about a teenage rock band and the back side of the music industry.

A homicidal piece of plywood attacks a nudist party searching for the last living relative of the man who cursed it.

The 14-year-old Nepalese girl Rekha is yearning to become an English teacher. But the dream is almost impossible to realise, as Rekha's family is planning to marry her off to a young boy in the neighbouring village. 'The Beloved Daughter' is a colourful but delicate tale about how poverty and cultural traditions force Rekha's father to send her away from the family and make her step into adulthood at a far too early age. For even though child marriage is prohibited by law – even in Nepal – the tradition is still widespread and responsible for determining the fate of children like Rekha all over the world.

In 1916, Finland is still a part of Russian Empire. Eugen Schauman murders the governor of Finland, and his fellow activists take on smaller tasks in the fight for freedom.

Eager young radio reporter Teräsvuori stages a one-man burglary into the Helsinki Art Museum, recorded on tape for a later broadcast by his friend Laakso. Things go awry when a gang of real criminals overhear their plans and book their heist to coincide. Teräsvuori gets caught but escapes from police custody to start his private investigations together with female radio colleague Eila.