The March of Local and Domestic Movies

In 2017 as Finland was celebrating its 100 years of independence, the domestic movie Unknown Soldier single-handedly attracted over a million eager visitors to the Finnish movie theaters earning over 14 million euros at the box office. The movie production was historic in its own right and reportedly made a Guinness World Record during filming as one special effects scene blew up 70,54 kg of explosives, the record title specifically being the ”most high explosives detonated in a single film take”. According to IFX-effects team lead Duncan Capp, in a total of 11 ground and 15 tree-tied explosives were ignited and filmed simultaneously with eight different cameras from various angles (HS 13.12.2017).

The greatest single filmed explosion in record is still held by the 2016 James Bond movie Spectre. Regardless, quite a feat from a Finnish 7 million euro film production when compared to the staggering 270 million euro Bond movie production.

DOMESTIC VS. INTERNATIONAL

This kind of comparison has not been really that current of an issue until now. Now that most international titles have been pushed back to an uncertain near future, it behooves the local titles to fill in to attract pandemic-ridden movie audiences back to the cinemas. To the great dismay of all European cinema operators, the recent postponing of the movie Soul to direct to streaming is ominously foreboding and many are afraid that other studios will follow suit. A popular industry online publication Variety reported comments from UNIC (Union Internationale des Cinémas), the organization representing European cinema operators, commented:

“...it is also clear that it is the release of new films that will make all the difference in encouraging people back to the big screen. Indeed, across Europe, many cinemas have — since re-opening successfully — screened countless local releases, underlining that first-run titles are now more important than ever.”

Screening new local releases have simply become the only option in order to stay afloat. The call for action has been heard, at least by the Finnish local film titles, which represent the bulk of titles to be released by the end of the year.

THE LIST OF HEROES

So, the march begins and to give these brave industry defenders the limelight they unequivocally deserve, here they are in heroic display:

TOVE - a 2020 Finnish biographical film of Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson. The film was written by Eeva Putro, and directed by Zaida Bergroth. The film's budget was 3.4 million euros, which makes it the second most expensive film in Finland after the 2017 version of The Unknown Soldier release (Source: SES)

RICKY RAPPER AND THE WRONG VINCENT - Rauha Rapper gets a strange prediction: a genius has been born to her immediate family. When Rauha finds a drawing Ricky has made, she is certain that Ricky is Vincent Van Gogh reborn. She decides to show Ricky's drawing to the intendent of the Art Museum. At the same time, a sketch of one of Van Gogh's paintings is found in Finland! This discovery starts an exciting chain of events, and in the end, the janitor of the Art Museum, a keen amateur detective, helps Ricky and Nelly to solve the mystery. (Source: Finnkino)

NIMBY - Mervi is a gay girl living in the hipster quarters of Helsinki. She has been living together with Kata for a year – now they are encouraged by the circumstances to finally come out of the closet. First, they'll tell Mervi’s parents – it’s an easy start since Kata has a Muslim background. Kata’s parents still live in Berlin and her mom is a well-known black Muslim politician – soon they are going to come to Finland (Source: SES)

ANY DAY NOW (Ensilumi) - Ramin Mehdipour (13) and his Iranian family have been living in a refugee center in Finland for a while now. As the boy is enjoying his school holidays, the family receives a negative decision on their asylum application. After filing the last possible appeal, the Mehdipours try to continue with their everyday lives and keep a positive attitude despite the looming danger of deportation. Ramin starts the new school year in which every moment will be more precious than ever. (Source: SES)

MOOMIN AND THE COMET - Moomintroll and his friends rush to save everyone in Moomin Valley from a ferocious comet. A new installation from a beloved classic story by Tove Jansson.

PERTSA AND KILU - directed by Taavi Vartia, the warm-hearted family movie leads audiences to an exciting adventure with two young boys trying to find a lost sailboat in hopes to retrieve a hefty bounty. The money gotten from the bounty would stop their parents from moving to separate cities after a job. (Source: SES)

THE LAST ONES - The Lapland tundra. Rupi is a young miner who fills his days by traficking in illegal pills, drinking, and dropping coins in a slot machine. After his friend is murdered, Rupi realises that he loves his friend’s widow. But the mine owner wants her too. The violence becomes a spectacle, the tragedy comic, the tundra cold, the people degenerate and hope ephemeral, like a star shooting through the sky. But even in this world, hope briefly rears its head.(Source: SES)

SUPERCOOL - Best friends Neil and Gilbert enter their senior year of high school hoping to go out with a bang. Unfortunately for them, they had no idea how crazy that bang would be. Be careful what you wish for because it might come true. (Source: SES)

FUCKING WITH NOBODY - After losing an interesting film job to her nemesis Kristian, Hanna teams up with her sister and counterculture friends to create a parody romance on Instagram between herself and a young actor Ekku. Hanna starts living a crowd-pleasing love story for the public, only to find herself tangled up in the unresolved past with her “you were never my boyfriend” friend Lasse, who also happens to be the real-life co-writer and cinematographer of Fucking with Nobody. As the fake-romance starts affecting everyone involved, a hurricane of desires, fantasies, hurt and intimacy is set off. Everyone involved has to decide what they are ready to put in front of the camera. Fiction and auto-fiction crash and melt into each other, as writer-director Hannaleena Hauru plays the lead role of an ever-single film director Hanna. (Source: La Biennale Venecia)

TALE OF THE SLEEPING GIANT (Tunturin tarina) - continuing a popular nature document series, Tale of the Sleeping Giant is a movie filmed entirely in Lapland in the most mythical wilderness: the mountains, lakes, and rivers of Lapland. It is a journey into the rich mythology of ancient Scandinavians and Lapps told in the form of a nature movie. (Source: SES)

THE POTATO VENTURE (Peruna) - The Potato Venture is a comedy about an early start-up entrepreneur who tries to import potato into Finland in the 17th century. The new class of bourgeoisie is emerging and shaking up the stagnant spirit of the era. But nobody believes in potato, and the Turnip Vendors' Guild decides to squash the disruption caused by the young entrepreneurs. (Source: SES)

70 IS JUST A NUMBER - Seija Kuula is a superstar singer and an ageless goddess with a career spanning decades and decades. Problems start to arise when Seija falls in love with a younger guy and everybody around her seems to suffer from a bad case of baby fever. Seija orchestrates a masterplan to make everyone happy only to realize that one can not play with love. 70 Is Just a Number is a warm and humorous coming-of-age story – at 70. (Source: DionysosFilms)

Honorable mentions go to already premiered local movie titles such as: Lost Boys, Karpo, Mets?j?tti, Aalto, Anerca-El?m?n hengitys, Syksyn j?lkeen saapuu kev?t, Seurapeli, Neiti aika, Eden, Lauluja rakkaudesta and N?kemiin neuvostoliitto.

WHICH DOMESTIC MOVIE ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT? PLEASE COMMENT BELOW OR SEND ME A DM.