Pekka Parikka

The Winter War

After Nazi Germany invades Poland in September 1939, Russia attacks Finland two months later. Finnish reservists leave home and go to war. Brothers Martti and Paavo Hakala, farmers from the municipality of Kauhava in the province of Pohjanmaa/Ostrobothnia, serve in a Finnish platoon.

Pohjantähti

Jussi Koskela clears a plot of land for his family in the village of Pentinkulma in southern Häme. His son Akseli joins the Red Guard and takes part in the Civil War of 1918, at the end of which he is imprisoned. After his release, Akseli returns to Pentinkulma and tries to raise his family with his wife Elina, as well as acquire more land for his croft in a politically hostile environment. The Winter War and Continuation War take a heavy toll on the Koskela family, but despite this, life goes on.

Tie naisen sydämeen

Pentti Anttila is a journalist, who accidentally ends up in to a mental institution. There he meets a woman, who claims that she is being kept there by force. Penttilä starts to investigate the case and he ends up in to a little town named Järvensuu. There he drifts in to a conflict with the local mob.

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.

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.

Hylätyt talot, autiot pihat

In summer 1944 Finnish Karelia, Martta hastily marries Aarne before evacuating alongside newborn Hilkka’s family, Helmi Elisa and their grandmother as Soviet forces advance. Amidst chaotic retreat, the women struggle to stay united and fatefully intersect with Aarne and Arttu, but the relentless offensive exacts heavy suffering and loss on both civilians and soldiers.

Maigret

The pragmatic, reserved and refined Maigret investigates murders in his singular unhurried manner and inevitably discovers the truth.

Hunajan maku