The River

The River

2001 · 111 min · ★ 6.1 · Drama, Romance

Episodic study of feelings where six stories intertwine over one Saturday in a small town. Two boys save a young woman, Anni, and her baby from suicide by drowning. Esa, a down-on-his-luck musician in need of a loan, arrives to his father's 60th birthday party. Waitress Leena tries to stir up a romance between her co-workers at a pizza parlor. Middle-aged Ilpo comes home early from the paper mill and finds a strange man in their bedroom. Old Milja waits for her daughter Merja at the hospital where she is visiting her terminally ill husband Henri. Teenage Santeri tries to cope with his homosexuality.

Directed by Jarmo Lampela · Written by Jarmo Lampela

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

Rent or Buy

Cast

Antti Ikkala Kimmo
Jyri Ojansivu Janne
Sanna Hietala Anni
Tuukka Huttunen Teppo, Annin entinen mies
Samu Loijas Loponen, Tepon ystävä
Antti Mikkola Santeri
Jari Virman Eero
Pekka Hannonen Mikko
Juha Kukkonen Esa, muusikko
Juha Varis Hannu, Esan veli
Marja Packalén Raili, Esan ja Hannun äiti
Ahti Jokinen Olli, Esan ja Hannun isä

Make it a double feature

3h 25m together

The River

Eila

Both from Jarmo Lampela.

More from Jarmo LampelaSee all →

Siperian Nero!

Siperian Nero! · 2000

Invisible Heroes

Invisible Heroes · 2019

Invisible Heroes

SeriesDramaWar & Politics

Invisible Heroes tells the heroic tale of young Finnish diplomats in Chile during 1973’s infamous military coup. Finnish diplomats Tapani Brotherus and Ilkka Jaamala along with Tapani’s wife Lysa Brotherus helped over 2000 left-wing Chileans escape the military junta’s persecution. The Finns acted without official authorization while Swedish ambassador Harald Edelstam was the most visible defendant of human rights with the backing of Sweden’s Prime Minister, Olof Palme.

Eila

A cleaning woman decides to sue the state for illegal discharge.

Rikospoliisi ei laula

Rikospoliisi ei laula · 2006

Rikospoliisi ei laula

SeriesDramaCrime

White Wall

White Wall · 2020

SeriesDramaMystery

A disused mine is being repurposed into the world's largest nuclear waste disposal site when an explosion occurs. The explosion exposes an unearthly white wall.

Pidetty hiljainen mies

Pidetty hiljainen mies · 1995

Pidetty hiljainen mies

A short film about Kaista, his son Pasi, his ex-wife Elina, and Elina's brother Aleksi, whose spring is dragging on. Kain's words ended when his wife announced that she wanted to be alone for a while and then started dating a man who is fair but dances.

Alma de Sant Pere

Alma de Sant Pere · 2016

Alma de Sant Pere

Alma is a young ambitious woman working in her own small company in Barcelona. She is happy in life but constantly dreams of a bigger project that she could work on together with her friends. A project that would bring in their first million. The opportunity finally arises and they buy an old building with a plan to renovate it into luxury apartments. But how to get rid of old tenants without hurting their feelings and without losing your own morals? Furthermore, how to survive from a free fall when you lose all you have? Alma de Sant Pere is a film about dreams, friendships and human values.

Whatever

Whatever · 2014

SeriesAction & AdventureDrama

12-year-old Kasper is studying at the elite school Nerola. Kasper spends the day practicing and performs on stage in the evening, when the school students appear in their own television program. However, Kasper is not happy. He constantly dreams of Ida, a girl he has never met. Living in a foster family 13-year-old Ida wants to have the attention of the entire world, and especially of her biological mother.

Freakin' Beautiful World

Freakin' Beautiful World · 1997

Freakin' Beautiful World

The Helsinki-based teenagers Ippe, Papu and Mia have become entangled in drug circles. Their problems get even worse when violent dealer Kalle starts blackmailing the indebted Ippe.

Rakastin epätoivoista naista

Rakastin epätoivoista naista · 1999

Rakastin epätoivoista naista

MovieComedyRomance

A romantic comedy about 30-year-old Leo and a 40-year-old, pregnant single mother of three, Maarit.

The Pairless

The Pairless · 2018

MovieComedyDrama

Old friends Masa and Tapsa have very different life situations: Masa is happily married but Tapsa has recently lost his wife and is a single-parent. Masa tries to help Tapsa inviting him to a pottery class. However the whole pottery class begins to help Masa and soon all the lonely ones in the class open up to each other.

Hermit Crab

Hermit Crab · 1999

MovieDramaComedy

A human-sized story about an old-fashioned man.

Keikka

A group theater ensemble film about a doctor who wants to help a group of refugees in Finland.

Nuoren Wertherin jäljillä

Nuoren Wertherin jäljillä · 2013

Nuoren Wertherin jäljillä

Markus Viitanen, a sculptor living in Suomenlinna, has not seen his son Eero for fifteen years. When he learns of Eero's death, he sets out to find out what kind of person Eero grew up to be during his nineteen years of life, and how the nanny Katri relates to the rest of Eero's life.

Don Quijote in Barcelona

Don Quijote in Barcelona · 2026

Don Quijote in Barcelona

Lluc, a former academic with strong cultural ties, and Olli, a man who drifted from Finland to the streets of Barcelona, meet while seeking shelter in the same stairwell. Their beginnings are modest, but gradually a connection develops between them, based not on pity but on shared humanity.

Have a nice weekend

Have a nice weekend · 2009

Have a nice weekend

Short movie about the importance of well-being at work.

More Like This

Surviving Picasso

Surviving Picasso · 1996

Surviving Picasso

MovieDramaRomance

The passionate Merchant-Ivory drama tells the story of Francoise Gilot, the only lover of Pablo Picasso who was strong enough to withstand his ferocious cruelty and move on with her life.

The Damned

The Damned · 1969

MovieDramaHistory

In the early days of Nazi Germany, a powerful noble family must adjust to life under the new dictatorship regime.

23 Blast

23 Blast · 2014

When a high school football star is suddenly stricken with irreversible total blindness, he must decide whether to live a safe handicapped life or bravely return to the life he once knew and the sport he still loves.

3 Women

3 Women · 1977

Two co-workers, one a vain woman and the other an awkward teenager, share an increasingly bizarre relationship after becoming roommates.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter