The Living Room of the Nation

When two former top orienteers end up in a snowstorm in Lapland wilderness, they face an impossible orienteering task: how to reach your destination when you can't tell earth from sky?

A portrait of a relationship between three generations and how it shifts between the search for closeness, understanding and acceptance, as the teenage son steps closer to adulthood. The film continues to follow the lives of Tero and his son Henri, both previously featured in Kärkkäinen’s documentary The Living Room of a Nation.

In December 2016 a remarkable chapter in music history was closed as the Finnish punk rock band Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät (PKN) retired. Punk Voyage is a feature length documentary film about the last years of the band, with all the ups and downs included. After becoming celebrities in Finland, this incredible quartet continued to conquer new fans around the World. In its seven years run PKN played nearly 300 gigs in 16 countries. In 2015 the band was selected to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest, where they played to over 100 million television spectators. However, the busy traveling and success created a lot of pressure within the band: Kari struggled with the temptations and responsibilities brought by publicity; Sami extended his territory to politics and religion; Toni's and the band's roadie Niila's crush to the the same girl caused conflicts; and Pertti, tired of this all, decided to retire.

The Punk Syndrome is a film about Finland’s most kick-ass punk rock band, Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät. The band members, Pertti, Kari, Toni and Sami, are mentally handicapped and they play their music with a lot of attitude and pride. We follow these professional musicians on their journey from obscurity to popularity. We watch them fight, fall in love and experience strong emotions. We witness long days in the recording studio and on tour. They laugh, cry, drink and fight over who gets to sit in the front on the tour bus. Then it’s time to make up and go talk to people in the audience and tell them how great their band is.

A tale of hate with no justifiable purpose: dry, cold winters, smoking highway dust, apartment buildings on the horizon, and VOLVO S40 leather seats.

Tero, 28, from Northern Finland is becoming a father, but has not yet told anybody. One Saturday night in December his friend Saku comes for a visit, bringing Tero two pairs of baby overalls. For some reason the whole village has heard the news. The boys decide to make a toast for fatherhood.

Every day in Finland alone, two people commit suicide. Thousands of people are affected by suicide yearly. Once I Dreamt of Life is a feature length documentary film about suicide. It’s an account about one’s personal relation to suicide, but also studies suicide as social phenomena: The motives, warning signs & consequences. The film follows the journey of a young man, an animated character based on a real person, on his path towards suicide. The journey is described by people who’ve had encounters with suicide – parents who lost their child, young adults who considered or even tried committing suicide. When linked together, these experiences offer a collage of our perception of suicide. They tell about how people cope with the past and find a reason to go on with their lives. The intention is not to romanticize suicide or judge. It encourages people to talk about painful and difficult experiences and reminds us how important it is to be heard.

"Pieniä Eroja" is a film about Salla - a 13-year-old girl who has a crush on her ex-teacher from the lower level of the comprehensive school, Tarsala. Starting the upper level herself, Salla dreams of Tarsala and eventually they become friends.

Milla and Aimo are saving up to move out from her alcoholic, zombie-like parents' home. But Aimo's insecurity gets the better of him, and he squanders their savings on bionic muscle enhancements, eventually turning himself into a full-fledged cyborg. Milla, however, doesn't like the new Aimo and leaves him. Heartbroken, Aimo gives up his heart for an unfeeling metal one. Milla resolves to steal it. After all, what's a woman without a man's heart? "Lovemilla" is an anarchic comedy trip through love, robots and bodybuilding.

Stuck in the suburbs of Helsinki, 20-year-old Markus plans on moving to New York, his sights set on pursuing streetball fame. With little money behind him, he turns to the local loan shark - and when he discovers that Markus has no plans to repay him, things take a turn for the worse.

The film tells the story of 77-year-old Marja, who suffers from dementia and can no longer cope alone in her home. Daughter Terttu and granddaughter Anna are worried about Marja's condition and are trying to get her to live in the municipal service house. However, there are many bumps on the road, and Marja would not want to move away from her home.

Erkki and Ritva have lived in a detached house for 30 years. In the summer, they moved into a smaller apartment for their retirement. We see how the couple communicates and marks on their territory, but also loves deeply.

In Ostrobothnia, men who have fallen in love with old tractors have set up a club that requires a Czech Zetor tractor. The main character of the documentary is the manboy Tero, who is looking for a woman of his life. While waiting for the hostess, the men drive their Zetors towards the Keskinen village shop and Katri Helena plays.

Intimate moment between a father and son – one night, one car ride, one problem.