Vesa Mäkelä
1947 - 2003The Winter War
Pekka Parikka
Taneli Mäkelä, Vesa Vierikko
Russia attacked Finland in late November 1939. This film tells the story of a Finnish platoon of reservists from the municipality of Kauhava in the province of Pohjanmaa/Ostrobothnia who leave their homes and go to war. The film focuses on the farmer brothers Martti and Paavo Hakala.
The Winter War
The Man Without a Past
Aki Kaurismäki
Markku Peltola, Kati Outinen
Arriving in Helsinki, a nameless man is beaten within an inch of his life by thugs, miraculously recovering only to find that he has completely lost his memory. Back on the streets, he attempts to begin again from zero, befriending a moody dog and becoming besotted with a Salvation Army volunteer.
The Man Without a Past
Drifting Clouds
Aki Kaurismäki
Kati Outinen, Kari Väänänen
Tram driver Lauri loses his job. Shortly later, the restaurant where his wife Ilona works as a headwaitress is closed. Too proud, to receive money from the social welfare system, they hardly try to find new jobs. But they are completely unlucky and clumsy, one disaster is followed by the next. Finally, their courage, confidence, and their unbreakable love triumph over the fate.
Drifting Clouds
Pohjanmaa
Pekka Parikka
Taneli Mäkelä, Esko Salminen
Based on a novel of the same name by the Finnish author, Antti Tuuri, this delicious late-80's comedy builds its dark humour on the stereotypical mentality of the northern part of Finland. While perhaps not as entertaining to a person unfamiliar with Finnish traditions, the brilliant acting, directing, plus the warm, beautiful Finnish summer more than make up for the cultural gap.The story begins with a group of brothers with their families coming up to honour the memory of their recently deceased father. Spending time together, opening old wounds and creating new ones... it all boils down to brotherhood. No matter what happens, brothers take care of their own.
Plainlands
Häjyt
Aleksi Mäkelä
Samuli Edelmann, Juha Veijonen
Häjyt tells a story of two friends who have a hard time finding their place in the society. Antti and Jussi are released from jail. While they were doing time for bank robbery, the third man involved in the robbery, the one who was not convicted, has become a policeman. He tries to help his friends to settle into the small town in Pohjanmaa, but the boys start a black market liquor business instead. The road seems to lead back to the jail.
The Tough Ones
Manillaköysi
Veli-Matti Saikkonen
Erkki Pajala, Vesa Mäkelä
Manillaköysi is a cult status holding TV-movie adaptation of the satirical war novel by Veijo Meri. Manillaköysi has an endless list of classic one-liners, but it is still not based on cheap laughs or anything like that. The whole humouristic aspect of it comes from describing the absurdity of war, and the whole military system, by looking it with the eyes of a simple man, who's thrown into it, and who simply does not give a rats ass of it all. The tone of it is not overly preachy or moralizing. If I would have to describe it with one word, it would be: unglamourizing. The main point of Manillaköysi is pretty much compressed in one of the most famous quotes of it: There is nothing supernatural about war, it is just work like anything else.
The Manila Rope
Onnellinen mies
Hannu Kahakorpi
Harri Tirkkonen, Liisamaija Laaksonen
Bridge engineer Akseli Jaatinen arrives to stir up the lives of the inhabitants of a small Finnish village. Jaatinen is well-liked at the bridge construction site, but he quickly finds himself clashing against the local decision-makers. The bridge engineer is also popular with the ladies and, being a man of energy, he manages to take care of several of his admirers at once.
Onnellinen mies
Hurmaava joukkoitsemurha
Ere Kokkonen
Heikki Kinnunen, Tom Pöysti
Two men, who both have tried to commit a suicide, decide to found a "Let's do it together"-suicide association to help the self-destructive people to succeed in their goal. Soon they have a bus load of candidates and together they start a bus tour in order to find a suitable place for the mass suicide.
Hurmaava joukkoitsemurha
Puhallus
Timo Humaloja
Antti Litja, Rea Mauranen
The company's regional manager has had enough of the fast pace of business and the frivolous patterns. He leaves the office sauna for a booze run at the behest of his boss. Drunk and driving his own car, even he doesn't have to. The situation becomes a thrilling chase that ends in a breathalyzer test and all-round relief as things fall into place. The booze run becomes a turning point in the life of the group's regional manager.
Puhallus
Romanovin kivet
Aleksi Mäkelä
Samuli Edelmann, Santeri Kinnunen
This action packed Finnish thriller tells the tale of two friends who get their revenge against the millionaire who double-crossed them. Patrick and Tony are hired by the wealthy gambler to steal the priceless Romanov stones, Russian jewels. They do it, but almost lose their lives when he double-crosses them. They turn around and get revenge, his money, his wife, and his daughter.
Romanovin kivet
