Plenty of Finnish film on show at Berlinale

The Finnish entries are competing across three sections in the festival, including in Berlinare Generation 14plus, where two Finnish films will compete for a Crystal Bear against other coming-of-age stories.

Directed by Selma Vilhunen and written by Kirsikka Saari, Stupid Young Heart (Hölmö nuori sydän) delves into, among other things, teenage pregnancy and racism.

The film received its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The other film is Tonislav Hristov’s documentary The Magic Life of V (Veeran maaginen elämä), which follows the life of a young woman who attempts to deal with family traumas through live role-playing. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January.

Looking back

In the retrospective Panorama 40 section, three Finnish films have made the lineup. One of them is Daddy and the Muscle Academy (1992), Ilppo Pohjola’s 55-minute documentary about Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen and his iconic character Tom of Finland.

The same section will also feature Pirjo Honkasalo’s documentary Mysterion (1991), which follows the lives of nuns at the Pühtitsa Convent in Estonia, and Claes Olsson’s short music film M.A. Numminen Sings Wittgenstein (1993).

The sole representative of Finnish cinema in Berlinale’s Forum Expanded section is Laura Horell’s Newstime (Uutisten aika), which discusses cultural differences, the Namibian independence struggle and Finland’s relationship with the African country.

On the market

Finnish films will also be on show at the European Film Market, one of the top three meeting places for the international film and media industries, organised in close connection with Berlinale.

These include Juha Kuosmanen’s Compartment No. 6 (Hytti numero 6) which is based on Rosa Liksom’s novel, the film adaption of Mikko-Pekka Heikkinen’s novel Reindeer Mafia (Poromafia), The Magic Life of V, and Miia Tervo’s dark-humoured, romantic comedy Aurora.