ELO Film School Finland

A documentary film directed by Marlena Martikainen

Mobile phone goes missing

A documentary directed by Nida Mehboob.

Out into the big wide world as fast as possible. That’s Elli’s plan. But where should she get the money from, if not steal it? When Heze falls for her, she steals from him and both have to learn: “Adulthood is a big pain in the arse”.

They are everywhere without us observing them. These ‘invisibles’ can only be seen on camera and only heard thanks to a microphone. Footage shot in public spaces shows people who seem non-existent to everyone else in the frame.

The summer ahead is long and hot but the burden of shame from the past is haunting Joonas, 24, and driving him to solitude. A sudden phone call changes the direction of his summer and brings Joonas to an old manor for a summer job, forcing him to open up to his new workmates and to face his shame. Joonas works hard under the burning sun, driven by his past mistakes, whilst the others lounge under the calming shade of trees. On the last day the group loses track of time and misses the last bus home. They are left at the old manor and a magical midsummer night begins.

After her father's funeral, Maarit plans to return to Thailand. On the day of the departure, she finds her mother Sylvi and her father’s taxidermy badger in a bar and Sylvi makes a revelation that may change Maarit’s departure plans.

Rebekka and Aatos, stuck in the past, meet for the first time since their painful breakup at their treasured poetry slam. It’s easier to sing about longing than to talk about it.

Somebody Should Do Something tells a story of insecurity and longing for freedom, of fear that drives people to poor choices. The main character, Elvis, falls for the new girl in class, Onerva. Seeking acceptance from his friends, Elvis lies and tells them he’s had sex with Onerva. Due to the lies and misunderstandings, the whole town is soon at a point where somebody should do something.

Markku built a house for his family with his own bare hands like a strong man is supposed to do. He worked hard from dawn to dusk, so that his seven children would have a roof above their heads. Unfortunately, the task ended up being too hard and Markku burnt out. One day, he left his family and disappeared abroad. The filmmaker travels to his childhood home to face his father, who he never got to know properly. Together they build a steel gate in front of the unfinished house, and try to create a relationship between each other.

Nesting is a story about Veikka (20), who is about to leave his work place - a construction site owned by Kari (50) - to start a new life in the big city. Veikka thinks the goodbyes will go smoothly, but gets interrupted by a rare situation: there’s a baby in the crane. The surprising problem is an annoyance at first, but in the end it opens up communication between the employees in a way that has been difficult in the past.

27-year-old Mona works alone at a remote grill, studies again for the upcoming entrance exams and endlessly misses her spouse Helga, who is on a business trip. A new employee starts at the grill, 19-year-old lively and unbalanced Leo, who in all his likability makes Mona miss her past.

A world-weary reality TV host (Alma Pöysti) is given one last chance by her producer. Accompanied by a cynical filming crew, she goes to find out what happened to a celebrity who wet himself in a dance show on live television.

It's almost Christmas but these three people are still on the road. The products don't sell, the car is a wreck and the weather is freezing. Moreover there is a problem: how to cope with an emerging friendship?

Janika takes advantage of her pregnancy by smuggling amphetamine from Tallinn to Helsinki with her brother.

Where light breaks into shards is a poetic short film about an encounter between a human and a bladderwrack on the shores of the Baltic Sea. The theme is intepreted through the memories of the sea and it invites the viewer to contemplate ones own relationship towards other species.

It’s the past that defines you, Kari tells his therapy group. And indeed, after serving a lengthy prison sentence, he wants to become a better person. However, his former life as a ruthless debt collector catches up with him in a nightmarish way.

Waste Land is a tragicomic ensemble film about a bunch of kids squatting an abandoned seaside hotel. The shabby hotel offers a life outside the society, at least momentarily. The house is more than a house – it is a utopian space for love, partying and freedom. But can the days of ease last when the squat is confronted both by outside forces and by internal conflicts?

The supermarket is nearing its closing time, and the last customers are queuing for their turn at the fish counter. The agonizing wait offers a chance for existential reflection and a little song.