Paavo Pentikäinen

Legend of the Lake Bodom

The Legend of Bodom is a figment of the imagination, but it takes place in a land that once existed - between East and West, on the front lines of the Cold War. It is Pentecost morning in 1960. Three young people are found murdered on the shores of Lake Bodom.

Lyrics and Lace

Like it or not, almost anyone who has met a really serious poet finds that they have something about them which sets them apart from other people. It's not just a romantic legend. In wry but basically directionless Finnish movie, Paavo Pentikainen plays one of these ungainly beings, a man whose last published work is decades in the past, who probably hasn't written anything in years, but who still has an uncanny knack for precise observation, "pinning the tail on the donkey" almost every time. In the movie, the poet, accompanied by his young assistant, takes a minor celebrity's swaggering tour of small cultural centers and retirement homes.

Petos

The very first American-style Post Office robbery in Finland. In the midst of the 60's a gangster quartet led by Hilarius Ruokonen splits up and go into hiding after the heist.

Plainlands

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.

Gotta Run!

Juuso, Late, and Pyry return from military service to their small village in the Finnish countryside. Finding work is difficult there, so Juuso decides to take a job on a Norwegian oil drilling platform. Late could start working on his family's chicken farm but wants to break free from his father who has a new wife. Looking for work in Gothenburg, Sweden, he only runs into more problems and is deported back to Finland. Pyry would like to take over his late father's farm but family quarrels over the estate make him quit his agricultural studies and, together with drifter Late, take a job in a steel mill in southern Finland.

Pedon merkki

Set during the Second World War in the Finnish war zone.

Jouluksi kotiin

Construction worker Urho Suomalainen, his factory-worker wife Sirkka, and their two school-age children dream about getting away from their cramped rental apartment and moving to a house of their own. Urho decides to build one from scratch, starting from hauling trees from the forest to the sawmill. As the building progresses, a serious fault is discovered in its foundations. The family also has problems with their mortgage. Urho develops pneumonia and passes away before he sees his house completed. At his grave, a fellow worker gives a powerful speech praising socialism.

Kun lesket lempivät

Simo Kämäräinen, a widowed cottage owner, and his chairman leave with marriage intentions for Juva. A play based on Maiju Lassila's novel.

Eight Deadly Shots

Small-scale farmer Pasi shoots four policemen who have come to arrest him for raged drunkenness. Rest of the movie is a long flashback examining the events that finally leads to the tragic shooting. As time goes by, Pasi sinks gradually deeper and deeper into the poverty, gets into trouble with both police and tax officials while family arguments grow more and more serious. Based on a true story.

Hiekkakuningas

A Finnish TV movie by Jukka Sipilä.

Akseli and Elina

A former Red Rebellion leader returns home after being imprisoned for his participation in the Finnish Civil War, but soon finds out that wartime mindsets still linger in the heads of people.

Aliisa

A finnish TV-movie by Jukka Sipilä

Here, Beneath the North Star

Täällä Pohjantähden alla is based on the book with the same title. It is a story of the little village. The movie starts in the 1890's and it ends to the Finnish civil war in 1918. Story concentrates around a tenant farmer family, although it gives us a good look at the society at whole. While the class struggle depends, people of the village are driven to bloody civil war.

Nuoruus vauhdissa

Laila and Lasse are two teenagers dreaming about careers as singers. Lasse's brother Rami dreams about motorbike racing and dates a pretty blond Anjukka. Her father works in the hot new field of TV advertising, which might be a good route to stardom for Laila and Lasse. But then Anjukka sets her eyes on Lasse and Rami sets his on Laila, and many a popular hit melody is sung in between.

Minkkiturkki

A story of a mink coat passing from one owner to another binding their fates.