Discoveries from Finland World Cinema

Pete loses to his father, a former world ping pong champion, in a ping pong match. As a discouraged Pete ruminates on his defeat, he comes across a lion documentary. The documentary inspires Pete to train for the rematch.

A pre-apocalyptic midnight walk takes you through a burning forest to witness a looming destruction. A fire in the forest either marks an impending doom or serves as a metaphysical gateway between realities.

This experimental documentary delves into the director’s own mother-daughter relationship, featuring real-life dialogues between the director and her mother. The narrative unfolds through static, color-framed images of the mother’s empty apartment, capturing a sense of absence and reflection. These intimate conversations reveal layers of shame, resentment, and longing shaped by alcoholism and custody, creating a raw and deeply personal portrait of difficult love. Created as a Bachelor of Fine Arts graduation project, the work was exhibited in the Young Artists 2019 exhibition at Kunsthalle Helsinki.

In June 1967, the Israeli army occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank of the Jordan River. The occupation was not supposed to disturb the Palestinians living in the area. However, the opposite happened, the home became a prison.

“Wherever Street Piece” is a found footage piece that describes impersonal and fragmented memories that cannot be directly linked to the life of one particular individual. Simultaneously the film documents the way these past realities – forgotten people in forgotten situations – blend together from the perspective of the present. Obviously not everything can be stored and passed on, but if we neglect the lessons of the past, are we also bound to repeat its mistakes?”

The film tells the story of the grief surrounding a mother’s death, memories of loss, and the joy of summer cabin life in the Finnish lake landscape, drawn from 8 mm movies filmed by three generations.

Meticulous documentary showcasing Felix-Filmi Oy's processes, personnel and, in particular, technical equipment used in film-making, including film cameras, vehicles, studio facilities, film editing tables, grease paint, focal lengths, star filters and even the bounties of the company's own kitchen.

Director Arvo Tamminen and actor Tuulikki Paananen visit Hollywood in this documentary film. The two have a look around the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio lot, where they meet MGM's famous lion mascot and some talented elephants. Palm trees sway on the streets of Hollywood, and the narrative captions tell us to watch out for plastic set pieces and vines from a Tarzan film.

Summer of 1943. The biggest Finnish film stars get together for charity and stop by an allotment of a veteran left disabled from the war. Helping with the harvest are, among others, Valentin Vaala, Regina Linnanheimo, Lea Joutseno, Irma Seikkula, Emma Väänänen, Hilkka Helinä, Kullervo Kalske, Reino Valkama and Joel Rinne.

After the fire of the Imatra cinema in Tampere in 1927, the Finnish film industry worked together to produce an educational film about a cinema that was safe for the public. The film was intended to be shown as an educational film in film projectionists' courses, but due to its comedic content, it was also shown at public screenings. Oscar Lindelöf (1887–1954), a pioneer of Finnish cinema, plays a triple role as a reckless projectionist, the projectionist-in-charge of Kino-Palatsi and the instructor of a projectionist course.

In this wordless short documentary by Minna Parkkinen, beautiful wintry pictures hide a dark story about past traumas and sexual violence against children. The trophy given to the most well-behaved kids in the class becomes a symbol of something sinister. Emotions that are difficult to put into words are instead presented through a hummed melody while snow and ice make way for flowing water.

A Fool, who seeks himself; a loud silent film.

the first home movie in my first home

Flowers for Hope is an authentic and humane documentary that shows the current situation of Ukraine during the war. The documentary follows the journey of photographers Christian Pirskanen and Jennifer Janowski and Edward Dwornik, who joins them, from Krakow to Kyiv, giving the viewer the opportunity to get to know everyday life in the midst of war. Even though air raids disrupt everyday life almost every day, people still try to live as normal life as possible. The interviewees openly talk about their own experiences, what goes on inside the head when you have to pull the trigger for the first time or how it feels to flee a war, leaving everything behind. Flowers for hope is about survival, hope and the power of people in the midst of difficulties.

Pirkko Fihlman was only a child when she had to flee her home in Karelia. Later, she began exploring her family's old tradition of crafting lamentations; creating cries for people in different circumstances. After a few decades, Fihlman started holding courses on the topic, which many people have found healing, and helping some connect with their old Karelian roots.

Illustrates the effects of hereditary muscle degeneration disease on a family.

The farce is set in Turku in the summer of 1940. Olavi Vuori, the son of a landowner, sets out to investigate shortages that have occurred in his father's lumberyard. At the site, he meets two bumbling friends, Sami and Santtu, who have unwittingly become involved in theft. Anni Koivu, an orphaned Karelian girl who looks after the pair's finances, falls in love with Olavi, much to the displeasure of their foreman, Haapala.

A guy in a pink suit tells us about his hobby. An experimental short film made in less than 24 hours.

A knight tries to get ahead in life in a comedic tale of self-discovery.

A ghostly figure wanders amongst ruins. An archaeological dig reveals an uncommon find. Microorganisms assist processing celluloid for the film.

Fishing during Finland's Continuation War

It is quiet in the forest, it is almost midnight. The teddy bear family's home is sleeping under the starry sky. The sounds of the night can be heard from the forest and a slight breeze keeps the teddy bears awake, but what on earth is happening in their home? A light comes on in one of the windows in the middle of the night and a slight rustling can be heard—which of the bears is awake? Come along on an adventure with the whole bear family and Riitta in the Hirsimetsä forest at night!

Mira is released from prison and returns to her hometown, where she lives with her alcoholic father in a mobile home. After settling in, Mira finds herself caught up in underworld disputes and money troubles. At the same time, she is forced to confront her own past. Meanwhile, a shady private investigator and his partner try to make a living by questionable means.

Nuusa is a priest and a passionate punk. A woman practicing her vocation is boldly fulfilling herself, but it is not easy for everyone to accept Nuusa's lifestyle. One's own faith is also put to the test at a time when the priesthood is also in a strong transition.

A man has walked the surface of the moon, and tensions are rising on every corner of the planet. After crazed advanced weaponry developer Dr. Willem Krueger lists his devastating new prototype on the market, it is up to British super-spy George Whitebrooke to prevent the space race from escalating into a star war.

A murder mystery set in the 1960s, following the footsteps of Poirot and Palmu, is a mix of suspense and comedy.

One of the legends of Finnish rock, Popeda, performed for the last time with their lead singer Pate Mustajärvi at the Ratina Stadium in Tampere in September 2023.

Helsinki's ship traffic in winter, people on the ice, reindeer pulling skiers, open-air swimming and ski jumping in Alppila.

A short documentary documenting Midsummer in Ylitornio.

People are upset at David Lopez, who lets his dog Nala walk off-leash. Lopez loves Finland, but he's now being hated because of his dog. Why are freedom and rebellion more important than acceptance from others?

LFM comments on the distortions in the image of women and the food cycle in the pulse of the Berlin metropolis: The female protagonist is transformed from a suburbanite in a big-city photo studio into a mythical warrior exuding primal energy for an avant-garde photo session. The film details the power and resources of the fashion world to shape the very real image of women. LFM culminates in a surprising juxtaposition of worlds as the protagonist hunts for sustenance on the obscure frontiers of society.

A group of extraterrestrial beings have been sent to different parts of earth in order to observe the changing of seasons.

Wheels where paramount in the conquering of the west, they made possible the transporting of building materials to build towns and cities. Wheels – now in the form of the private automobile – have become a symbol of freedom and the last way to conquer “the big outdoors”. However getting out of ones the car has got more difficult and much scarier.

Short film.

Documentary film about ceremonies of independence day in Finland in year 1940.

Documentary film about some interesting person.

Herring seine fishing in Rymättylä in the summer.

Documentary film.

Satiric animation.

Documentary about Finnish workers.

Finnish documentary film.

Finnish documentary film.

An experimental film. A rollercoaster of emotions from gloom to masochism, violence and remorse. The film was made by scratching, painting and otherwise in different ways abusing old 16mm film material.

Please remember is a poetic short film where characters' thoughts are heard through voice over. The soundworld and the music is creating a sensory experience for the viewer. The violence in the picture is not the main point but the rawness is in the poems.

The poetic and enigmatic film follows passionate birdwatchers in the spring. The quiet waiting and observing of birds becomes meditative, and humans seem to blend into their environment. Elsewhere, birdwatchers gather to The Battle of the Towers competition, attempting to observe as many species as possible in one day. The documentary looks at birdwatchers as beautifully and unhurriedly as its characters look at nature.

Middle-aged priest Late Mäntylä has realized that having a beard allows them to reflect their inner self more authentically through their outward appearance. Makeup artist Kata Launonen has offered to show Late how to create one. The afternoon spent in the beauty salon represents the culmination of Late’s life-long journey of becoming themself.

Pacifistic art student Uuno F. Inkinen (1913–2003) went to war and kept a diary of his experiences. Nearing the end of his life, he felt it was his duty to tell the younger generation what war was really about. After all, nobody talked about it in his youth. In Anu Kuivalainen’s documentary, the events witnessed by young Inkinen are recreated for the audience and interpreted by actor Jari Virman.