In modern-day Helsinki, two lonely souls in search of love meet by chance in a karaoke bar. However, their path to happiness is beset by obstacles – from lost phone numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism, and a charming stray dog.
In the heart of the Finnish forest, the long-closed foundry of the little town of Karkkila has come back to life thanks to director Aki Kaurismäki and his creation of the town's first cinema. The peace and calm of the little town of Karkkila, nestled deep in the Finnish forest, is interrupted by unexpected sounds. In the abandoned foundry, noisy building work is taking place. Inside the building, Aki Kaurismäki is both builder and site manager of what is soon to become the Kino Laika cinema. The creation of the cinema is the talk of the town. In the factory still in activity, in a 1960s Cadillac, in a bikers' club, in the local pub, in the woods or in Aki Kaurismäki's former editing room, people start talking about cinema again.
Acclaimed Finnish director Rauni Mollberg made several scandalous yet widely appreciated films. Former co-worker Veikko Aaltonen’s eye-opening documentary The Dinosaur looks at the relentless, often disturbing directing techniques behind Mollberg’s art and success.
Juho Kuosmanen (born 1979) is a Finnish film director and screenwriter. His first feature film The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the top prize. In 2021, his second feature film Compartment No. 6 shared the Cannes Grand Prix (the festival's second prize) together with Asghar Farhadi's A Hero. Kuosmanen graduated from Aalto University in 2014. His graduation film The Painting Sellers was nominated for five Jussi Awards (Finnish premier film industry award). The Painting Sellers won the first prize in Cinéfondation in Cannes Film Festival in 2010. Kuosmanen worked as an actor in Leea Klemola's arctic trilogy in Tampere Theatre in Kokkola and New Karleby Kuosmanen has also directed opera with conductors Sakari Oramo and Santtu-Matias Rouvali.