Finnish movies On this topic I'll be shortly introducing classics of Finnish film (and personal favorites).
Due it's 50th anniversary, I start with Käpy selän alla (="Cone under back", also known as Under Your Skin).
It is a youth drama about four city youngsters' camping trip. The film was very liberal (1966) with then-infamous sex scenes and dialogue, as well as the method of filming: much of it was improvised by the young actors (who no doubt were better in touch with the subject than the director).
Director Mikko Niskanen is one of the most important in Finnish film history and I may present other works from him later.
Only clip I can find is this video with an iconic song (which defined style for 70's leftist protest songs here). I'm not sure but this may be the opening of the film.
Re: Finnish movies The White Reindeer is the biggest Finnish classic of horror (though I'd call it "supernatural thriller" rather than actual horror). It's one of the few Finnish films that got some recognition abroad, including only Finnish film to win Golden Globe.
Re: Finnish movies Director Matti Kassila has died at age of 94. He made over thirty films, best remembered of which are 60's detective films Inspector Palmu series.
Re: Finnish movies Lasse Pöysti (1927-2019) was actor, director, writer and theatre manager.
He started as child actor in 1940's as main character of Family Suominen series of 5 films (3 of the sequels are titled with his character Olli).
In 50's he directed and starred numerous films, mainly comedies. He also directed and narrated the very first TV broadcast in Finland 1955.
By then he'd also worked in theatre and was involved in founding several now respected institutions.
Pöysti continued acting, directing and writing to this century. Personally I remember him (aside some of the old comedies) from an 80's children's show reading "bedtime stories" and from 1984 drama The Clan - Tale of the Frogs where he played wise old police chief trying to keep juvenile main character from following the criminal ways of his family.
Re: Finnish movies I like to think Finland isn't a particularly racist country. At least not about black people, the Gypsies and Lapps... sorry, Roma and Sami are another thing.
But from 50's all the way to early 90's, there are now and then some examples of unintentional or at least non-hostile racism. Like the time (in 50's) neighboring town local paper had article "a negro seen at church hill".
Even so, we have a pretty good track record that seemingly racist songs and movie scenes often actually mock racism and prejudice and ignorance.
However, I just saw in some ways worst Finnish example I know. This 1952 movie (I'm kind of happy there are no youtube clips) is a musical comedy based on Finnish tour of Helsinki University Chorus (the oldest Finnish language choir) which, including the movie, was made to fund their trip to US.
Therefore the theme of their show is America, both in Finnish songs and American music.
And what do we get from African-American music?
Of course you start with half the choir in blackface*, dressed in rags, sitting hunched on logs to sing spirituals/blues. And they are passing, or rather fighting for, a large cardboard bottle titled "Old Negro Spirit". For atmosphere, you have at the back sign "Cotton Club".
Not the proudest moment of Finnish culture history...
(*=I don't consider every time a white has face paint to be a black character as "blackface". Sometimes it's just make-up same as any costume. But this one was like... a cheap version of the classic actual blackface.)
Re: Finnish movies Having finally seen Rendel (trailer few post above), I have to comment it a bit.
It was advertised as "the first Finnish superhero film" and that it certainly is. Aside one nice twist/character, it's an absolutely generic superhero film. And it gives no indication that it would in any way be intended as parody - which is kind of nice, because the Finnish attitude on making action films is that they have to be parody/comedy, they can't be serious because they're Finnish.
So for once somebody one seriously and while it's not awfully good and it's confusing for a Finnish viewer - especially as there were two funny moments/dark jokes in there - this is a trailblazer. Rendel gives Finnish film makers a new genre. (Sure there were some examples fully for domestic audience, like later Vares film/Nordic noir movies - first two Vares films are awesome dark comedies - but action films with possibility of international release are anew thing.)
As said, Rendel is generic superhero film. Mix 90's Darkman films with Batman trilogy, throw in Finland and small budget and there you are. What bothered me most were some WWE-style fights (I'm guessing couple actors/choreographers are wrestlers?)
And even for a superhero film, there was pretty bad logic regarding effectiveness of person getting shot or stabbed.
Not something most people would care to watch twice, but an OK action film.
I see they're making a sequel, in English due better success internationally than domestically. Filming should be going on already and the movie to come out next year.