Acting

Elina Salo

Born March 9, 1936 · Sipoo, Finland

Died November 4, 2025 · aged 89

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Elina Salo (born March 9, 1936 in Sipoo, Finland; died November 4, 2025) was a Finnish film, theatre and television actress who has also done work in radio as a voice actor in children’s programming. In her career that began in 1956, Salo appeared in over 50 films and television shows but she is best known for her work in Aki Kaurismäki’s films. She has been…

Known For

Le Havre

Le Havre · 2011

MovieDramaComedy

In the French harbor city of Le Havre, an elderly shoeshiner with an ailing wife crosses paths with a young African refugee pursued by the police for deportation.

The Man Without a Past

The Man Without a Past · 2002

The Man Without a Past

MovieDramaRomance

Arriving in Helsinki, a nameless man is beaten within an inch of his life by thugs, miraculously recovering only to find that he has completely lost his memory. Back on the streets, he attempts to begin again from zero, befriending a moody dog and becoming besotted with a Salvation Army volunteer.

The Match Factory Girl

The Match Factory Girl · 1990

The Match Factory Girl

Iris is a shy and dowdy young woman stuck in a dead-end job at a match factory, who dreams of finding love at the local dancehall. Finding herself pregnant after a one-night stand and abandoned by the father, Iris finally decides the time has come to get even and she begins to plot her revenge.

Pockpicket - Recollections of a Helsinki Bourgeois Youth

Pockpicket - Recollections of a Helsinki Bourgeois Youth · 1968

Pockpicket - Recollections of a Helsinki Bourgeois Youth

MovieComedyDrama

Recollections of a Helsinki Bourgeois

The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen · 1986

MovieFantasyFamily

A Finnish live action adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, The Snow Queen. The tale centers on the struggle between good and evil as experienced by a little boy and girl, Kai and Kerttu.

Drifting Clouds

Drifting Clouds · 1996

Drifting Clouds

The ever-poker-faced Ilona loses her job as a restaurant hostess, as her tram driver husband, Lauri, also finds himself out of work. Together they must hit the streets of Helsinki, facing up to hardship and humiliation in their quest for survival, guided through the gloom by a ray of hope.

Eight Mirrors

Eight Mirrors · 1982

Mean girls bully Anna-Maija after she is seen kissing a boy. Her parents notice that the girl's affairs are not in order, but they did not know the reason for their melancholy. Mother buys eight mirrors, one for each member of the family.

A Worker's Diary

A Worker's Diary · 1967

A Worker's Diary

Juhani, a welder and Ritva, a right-wing backgrounded, future clerk get married. Soon we see that their marriage seems to be all about long business trips, housing problems, concerns about the money and political disagreements.

Filmography

Sort

Le Havre

Le Havre · 2011

MovieDramaComedy

In the French harbor city of Le Havre, an elderly shoeshiner with an ailing wife crosses paths with a young African refugee pursued by the police for deportation.

Claire

The Man Without a Past

The Man Without a Past · 2002

The Man Without a Past

MovieDramaRomance

Arriving in Helsinki, a nameless man is beaten within an inch of his life by thugs, miraculously recovering only to find that he has completely lost his memory. Back on the streets, he attempts to begin again from zero, befriending a moody dog and becoming besotted with a Salvation Army volunteer.

Dock Clerk

The Match Factory Girl

The Match Factory Girl · 1990

The Match Factory Girl

Iris is a shy and dowdy young woman stuck in a dead-end job at a match factory, who dreams of finding love at the local dancehall. Finding herself pregnant after a one-night stand and abandoned by the father, Iris finally decides the time has come to get even and she begins to plot her revenge.

Mother

Pockpicket - Recollections of a Helsinki Bourgeois Youth

Pockpicket - Recollections of a Helsinki Bourgeois Youth · 1968

Pockpicket - Recollections of a Helsinki Bourgeois Youth

MovieComedyDrama

Recollections of a Helsinki Bourgeois

The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen · 1986

MovieFantasyFamily

A Finnish live action adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, The Snow Queen. The tale centers on the struggle between good and evil as experienced by a little boy and girl, Kai and Kerttu.

Pohjoisen velho

Drifting Clouds

Drifting Clouds · 1996

Drifting Clouds

The ever-poker-faced Ilona loses her job as a restaurant hostess, as her tram driver husband, Lauri, also finds himself out of work. Together they must hit the streets of Helsinki, facing up to hardship and humiliation in their quest for survival, guided through the gloom by a ray of hope.

Mrs. Sjöholm

Eight Mirrors

Eight Mirrors · 1982

Mean girls bully Anna-Maija after she is seen kissing a boy. Her parents notice that the girl's affairs are not in order, but they did not know the reason for their melancholy. Mother buys eight mirrors, one for each member of the family.

Aiti

A Worker's Diary

A Worker's Diary · 1967

A Worker's Diary

Juhani, a welder and Ritva, a right-wing backgrounded, future clerk get married. Soon we see that their marriage seems to be all about long business trips, housing problems, concerns about the money and political disagreements.

Ritva Margaret Vehoniemi, o.s. Mattila

Rintamalotta

Rintamalotta · 1956

Irma has been sent to the front immediately after her marriage to Erik Vuori. Irma and her new "Lotta" companions find themselves in many dangerous situations during the fighting of the Continuation War. Irma is also concerned about Erik's loyalty.

Soilikki

Nonstop

Nonstop · 1987

A revolver changes hands seven times, each time serving a different purpose shot in a film style which tests the traditional story-telling form of film.

Mother (voice)

Vaaksa vaaraa

Vaaksa vaaraa · 1965

MovieThrillerCrime

A technician working in the telephony company receives a mysterious packet.

Liisa Liljefors

Hamlet Goes Business

Hamlet Goes Business · 1987

Hamlet Goes Business

MovieComedyDrama

When Hamlet discovers his father’s deceased body, he finds himself pulled into a power struggle as his scheming uncle attempts to secure a monopoly on the Scandinavian rubber duck industry. Will Hamlet avenge his father? Will he become the king of rubber ducks? Does any of it really matter?

Gertrud

Tähtisumua

Tähtisumua · 1961

Pirkko Mannola and Esko Salminen play young pop stars of the same name, who develop a secret romance that is kept hidden from the other musicians in the pop orchestra. Between musical scenes, Pirkko introduces Esko to Ville Salminen, Toivo Kärki, and Reino Helismaa, among others, and gets him a spot in a big pop music show.

Petos

MovieDramaCrime

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.

postikonttorin kassanhoitaja

Inspector Palmu's Error

Inspector Palmu's Error · 1960

Inspector Palmu's Error

MovieComedyCrime

A closed room mystery begins when an infamous tycoon is found dead in his bath tub. The famous police lieutenant Palmu is summoned to investigate.

Airi Rykämö

Juha

MovieComedyDrama

A farmer's wife is seduced into running away from her stolid older husband by a city slicker, who enslaves her in a brothel.

Shemeikka's Sister

Kreivi

Pertti Ylermi Lindgren was engaged to 76 women, married none, but took the money of all. Lindgren is the real thing, as far as swindlers go. Peter von Bagh asked him to play himself in a film that would reconstruct some of his greatest moments, i.e. the most flamboyant stunts – and he agreed.

Toini

The Farewell

The Farewell · 1982

Set between 1930s and 50s, The Farewell the story of Valerie, who lives in a household totally repressed by her stern father. When Valerie has a brief affair with another woman, her father is extremely angry and tries to end the affair with physical force. However Valerie’s determination, independence and lesbian feelings cannot be crushed.

Fräulein, kotiopettajatar

Pedon merkki

Pedon merkki · 1981

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

Sairaanhoitaja

Nitro League

Nitro League · 1993

MovieTV MovieComedy

An jolly gang of elderly people plan to rob a bank.

Patarouva

Patarouva · 1959

MovieDramaRomance

Kaius Kannisto a bachelor who has experienced hard on the love front, goes through his relationships with his four former female friends, the four queens of the deck of cards.

Kastehelmi Seppälä, patarouva

Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatjana

Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatjana · 1994

Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatjana

MovieComedyRomance

Two Finnish men agree to drive an Estonian woman and a Russian woman to a harbor.

Hotel Receptionist

The Rooster and Hen Have a Sauna

The Rooster and Hen Have a Sauna · 1991

The Rooster and Hen Have a Sauna

MovieAnimationMusic

A comical animated opera. A chicken leaves to get birch branches for sauna while the rooster stays to warm the sauna. On her way she sees a clear-watered well, a tired cow and other creatures that sing along "Finland's best animal actress" Elina Salo and a child choir to some songs composed by M.A. Numminen.

Narrator (voice)

Villin Pohjolan salattu laakso

Villin Pohjolan salattu laakso · 1963

Villin Pohjolan salattu laakso

The Vorna brothers search for a hidden valley and its treasures.

Inga

Mumintrollet

Mumintrollet · 1969

Moomintroll was a Swedish television series about the Moomins 1969 directed by Vivica Bandler and Ulla Berglund. The series, which is in 13 parts, is written by Tove and Lars Jansson, and produced by Swedish Radio. The premier was December 5, 1969 on TV2. The series became known for Moomins took off their heads a bit into the series. In 2008 the series was up as the play "The King of Moomin Valley" at the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki.

Lilla My

Vandrande skugga

Vandrande skugga · 1984

Vandrande skugga

Cecilia Reding