film directed by Ere Kokkonen

film directed by Ere Kokkonen

The years have passed and the children have flown from the nest to the world... except they haven't. On the contrary. Jonna and Junnu have been lured back home, with the addition of Jonna's child, by a house that will soon be empty. The parents, who are of retirement age, are about to move to Spain - as soon as the father can tell his employer that he is quitting his job as a taxi driver. But the father's plans are changed when his boss buys his taxi company a new vehicle, a luxury Mercedes with all the bells and whistles. His pension, Spain, wife and common sense all vanish as he is left with one obsessive goal: to get behind the wheel of his coveted Mercedes one single time. Eventually his dream comes true, but at a cost. The father discovers he has put the whole family in such dire straits that the only way out is to steal the dead man's briefcase.

The Singer is a film about the all-time favourite singer in Finland, Olavi Virta. A man who rose from poverty all the way to the top and became an artist who was dearly loved by the Finnish people. A man who loved beautiful women and was loved by beautiful women. A man who enjoyed speed, American cars, applause and alcohol and who finally lost everything but his unique voice.

Parikka, the actor once called the Funniest Man in Finland, and his troupe are about to be executed for the atrocities committed during the Civil War in Finland. Jaeger Lieutenant Nyborg, an admirer of Parikka, suspects a definite miscarriage of justice. He wants to save the actors. The forthcoming visit of the German General von der Goltz to the prison island provides him with a suitable opportunity. Nyborg suggests that the actors prepare a comical performance for the visitor and not be shot. Instead, they will be given a new trial. Preparing a comedy in the horrible circumstances, in the midst of hunger and death, seems quite an overwhelming task. Only a handful of real actors are still alive, the rest of the troupe consists of stagehands. Parikka has to use all his inventive skills to be able to produce something funny.

The film follows Sanna, who sets out to document the countless ways there are to ruin a marriage for her doctoral thesis.

Rousku and Raninen are fleeing their unemployment by setting up a construction company. Occupational illiteracy is not an obstacle and accounting is fine when Rouskun's mate deals with things. The entrepreneurs know that the poor can be, but not artificial. But what's the point for the scratchy women? Especially when Rousku gets to look in the mirror again and find out what kind of father, such a daughter.

A few days before Christmas Eve the last sack of letters arrives to Santa. At the bottom is a letter that is a bit older than the others, it's a drawing. While the curious Santa tries to figure out what the drawing looks like, strange things begin to happen.

Self-taught philosopher Konsta Pylkkänen guides a group of researchers through Finland's Kainuu wilderness in the hopes of having a "sinistä ajatusta", idea out of the blue. While firing upon a hybrid of the hazel grouse and the western capercaillie, kinds of birds, he indeed makes a scientific discovery.

1990 film by Aki Kaurismäki