Frozen Land

Colour, 35 mm
Finland, 2005, 130 min
Section: Worried About Work
Oficiální stránky: www.solarfilms.com

About the film

Here’s the most talked about Nordic film of the year, a bold and often bleakly humorous depiction of modern life and human frailty in contemporary Finland. Its powerful themes of courage and the difficulty of forgiveness play out in overlapping episodes that delve into unemployment, alcoholism, depression and drug addiction. Inspired by the same Leo Tolstoy short story that sparked Robert Bresson’s classic L’argent, Frozen Land also follows a path begun by an injustice. Although a forged banknote links a chain of events, an even more significant connection between characters and circumstances derives from their work (or lack of it) and the stresses they experience on the job. Like compatriot Aki Kaurismäki, director Aku Louhimies closely observes the human cost of labour in its various manifestations. In some ways reminiscent of Ulrich Seidl’s Dog Days, the film combines psychological acuity with a sharp eye for social problems.

About the director

Aku Louhimies (b. 1968, Finland) has risen to the top echelon of Finnish movie directors during the last decade. He gained professional skills and experience while working on several popular television series in the 1990s. His debut feature film Restless (Levottomat, 2000) was a major box office hit, just like his second feature Lovers & Leavers (Kuutamolla, 2002). His multiple award-winning television series  “Fragments” ( “Irtiottoja,” 2003) further enhanced his reputation. He was elected Director of the Year in 2004 by the Association of Finnish Film Directors. Frozen Land (Paha maa, 2005) won the Nordic Award and three other official prizes at the Göteborg Film Festival.