Real Men

For 18-year-old Finnish–Kosovan Fatu, a simple visit to the grocery store feels as nerve-racking as a lunar expedition: for the first time in his life, he’s wearing makeup in public. Luckily his best friend Rai, a young woman on the spectrum of autism, is there to ferociously support him through the voyage.

70-year-old Timo makes the most of his short ride to work. Speeding up on a bicycle ends up in a ditch, but the adrenaline rush leaves a feeling of pleasure.

The supermarket is nearing its closing time, and the last customers are queuing for their turn at the fish counter. The agonizing wait offers a chance for existential reflection and a little song.

In this warm-hearted puppet animation documentary, we get to know the filmmaker’s 54-year-old mother Maija through her phone calls. We see how she copes with the difficult things in her life, like alcoholism and autism, demanding family members, and various absurd situations that seem to follow her.

When carefree, young Lenni and his girlfriend find themselves expecting a child, he ends up looking for a role model in all the wrong places as he becomes involved with local right-wing activists.

A documentary puppet animation about Iiti’s (28) moving in day. As if a sign from the universe for her poor life choices, there seems to be a nightmarish mouse lurking in the shadows of her new home. Iiti has to get rid of the mouse by whatever means necessary. She arms herself with mouse traps, lethal spray and even an ultrasonic repellant. But the nasty mouse problem just escalates and ultimately leads Iiti to a strange coincidence. Could Iiti be a mouse herself?