The Harvest Month

The Harvest Month 1956

6.50

The title of the Finnish film Elokuu translates to August. Directed by Matti Kassila, one of Finland's premiere filmmakers, Elokuu was adapted from a novel by Nobel prize winning finnish author F.E. Sillanpää. Simply put, the story concerns the decline and fall of a once-proud family, thanks to the alcoholism of its paterfamilias. Toivo Makela delivers a powerfully effective performance as the inebriated protagonist, avoiding the usual "drunken" cliches. The overlong running time, coupled with the downbeat nature of the subject, limited the film's worldwide appeal.

1956

Evakko

Evakko 1956

7.00

Evakko is a portrayal of Soviet-Finnish winter war of 1939/40 and the associated evacuations in different parts of the country. It tells the story of a Karelian family along with their whole village who were forced to leave their homes because of the war. The film has a surprisingly perky tone for the subject matter.

1956

Young Love

Young Love 1955

5.20

Story of first love affair during summer school holidays, in a pastoral setting.

1955

Tähdet kertovat, komisario Palmu

Tähdet kertovat, komisario Palmu 1962

6.70

A man's body is found on Tähtitorninmäki in Helsinki. Palmu starts to investigate the case, but the scandalous newspaper story causes problems for the police.

1962

…ja Helena soittaa

…ja Helena soittaa 1951

7.00

Lasse Pöysti's directorial debut film. And Helena Plays On (1951) is based on Aino Räsänen's second novel of the same name in the Helena series. When the Winter War breaks out, Arttu (Jussi Jurkka), the son of Helena (Irma Seikkula) and Jari Junkkeri (Erkki Viljos), go to the front. Arttu proposes to his girlfriend Elina (Leena Häkinen), but the world events come in between. When he is not heard of at the end of the war, the relatives begin to believe that Arttu is dead - everybody else but not Helena.

1951

Kaikkien naisten monni

Kaikkien naisten monni 1952

5.00

The military farce, directed by Lasse Pöysti, is based on Joel Laikka's novel. The illiterate Nieminen (Pöysti), who starts his military service through mischief and being tempted by other rookies, causes confusion in the barracks. At the behest of colonel (Paavo Jännes), attempts are made to teach him in different ways - the women of the locality are also interested in teaching. Soon Nieminen will be the competing with sergeant major Vasikainen (Reino Valkama) for the affections of the colonel's cook Vieno (Toini Vartiainen).

1952

Hopeaa rajan takaa

Hopeaa rajan takaa 1963

6.00

In the summer of 1941, the Karelian youths Wist and Anttala decide to seek family silver hidden under Wist's home behind the border line of the truce.

1963

Trust

Trust 1976

3.50

Directed by Edvin Laine and Viktor Tregubovich, Trust (1976) is a Finnish-Soviet historical drama film that follows the relations between Finland and the Soviet Union. In December 1917, the Finnish delegation, composed of Chairman of the Senate Finance Department P.E. Svinhufvud (Vilho Siivola), Senator Carl Enckell (Yrjö Tähtelä) and State Secretary Gustaf Idman (Yrjö Paulo) arrive in St. Petersburg to meet V.I. Lenin (Kirill Lavrov) to gain recognition for the country's independence.

1976

The Witch

The Witch 1952

6.30

An archaeological team unearths a body of a young woman, who was told to be a witch buried in the bog some 300 years ago. Soon a naked woman appears and drives the men of the village crazy...

1952

Kovanaama

Kovanaama 1954

4.00

Lasse Pöysti plays a young reporter named Esko Pekuri who thinks he's got a front-page story. But every article he writes goes in press as minor news. He gets a fantastic idea to impersonate a gangster and write an article about prison life.

1954

Aatamin puvussa… ja vähän Eevankin

Aatamin puvussa… ja vähän Eevankin 1971

4.00

A story of an escaped convict and some funny side stories during the Finnish summer, some stolen clothes and some summer romance thrown in.

1971

Putkinotko

Putkinotko 1954

5.00

A story takes place within one summery day in a place called Putkinotko on the shore of lake Saimaa in the early 20th century. Juutas and Rosina Käkriäinen are poor sharecroppers struggling to feed their ten children, so they run a liquor selling business on the side...

1954

Paksunahka

Paksunahka 1958

5.00

A man dreaming of becoming a private detective gets suck into an investigation of a crime involving the theft of a secret chemical formula.

1958

Gas, Inspector Palmu!

Gas, Inspector Palmu! 1961

7.40

A rich widow is found dead in her apartment in Helsinki due to gas poisoning. The incident is initially thought to be an accident, but inspector Palmu notices that the murderer made a mistake, and so Palmu, Kokki and Virta begin the investigation: who had come to the apartment through the balcony door and opened the gas tap while Mrs. Skrof was asleep?

1961

Here, Beneath the North Star

Here, Beneath the North Star 1968

6.90

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.

1968

Anu ja Mikko

Anu ja Mikko 1956

4.00

The film tells the story of an orphaned Anu and carpenter Mikko trying to make a living in a small Karelian village in the early 1930s.

1956

Kulkurin masurkka

Kulkurin masurkka 1958

3.30

A story about vagabond named Paul and his journeys in the countryside. He is a real charmer and many women will fall in his lap.

1958

Lain mukaan

Lain mukaan 1956

5.00

Maria Toikka is called to testify in a trial in which her husband Ville is charged. The assurances show the events that led to the trial from the previous fall, when Patron Oppman begins to approach Maria, offering her money in return for services.

1956

Sotapojan heilat

Sotapojan heilat 1958

1

A military farce from a rookie with over a hundred female pen pals.

1958

Vodkaa, komisario Palmu

Vodkaa, komisario Palmu 1969

5.50

A TV reporter is murdered when he is eavesdropping on a secret Finnish-Soviet conference. The National Broadcasting Corporation enlists the help of police lieutenant Palmu, who comes out of retirement for this case. However, some have their doubts about the loyalities of Palmu, seeing that he was spotted in a diplomatic soiree in Moscow just a few weeks before the murder.

1969