Documentaries
11 Underground
- Category
- Documentaries
- Directors
- Chico Pereira
- Screenwriters
- Chico Pereira
- Producers
- Kaarle Aho
- Release year
- 2024
- SES grant
- 100 000 €
- Budget
- 367 000 €
- Production companies
- Making Movies Oy
A filmmaker asks 11 young locals to lock into an old mine for 11 days in Almaden, Spain, in order to honor their grandparents mining strike of 1984.
Outside the mine villagers start demonstrating, national media arrives and the politicians and the mining company get nervous. The nostalgic tribute turns into social movement, documentary filmmaking intervenes reality, and suddenly some of the participants threaten not to leave the mine at all.
Do No Harm
- Category
- Documentaries
- Directors
- Satu Majava, Joel Tainio
- Screenwriters
- Satu Majava
- Producers
- Satu Majava
- Release year
- 2024
- SES grant
- 137 500 €
- Budget
- 285 000 €
- Production companies
- Kolmas Näytös Oy
Oksana, 29-year-old Ukrainian doctor is living in Finland when the war breaks out. Oksana decides to do something. She jumps into a bus on its way to the border of Ukraine and Poland. Goal of these “rescue operations” is to bring Ukrainians to Finland. Do No Harm is a film from the sidelines of war. It is a personal story about the problems connected to helping. What can you do when you have to do something?
Spy from a Distance
- Category
- Documentaries
- Directors
- Ari Matikainen
- Screenwriters
- Ari Matikainen, Mikko Porvali
- Producers
- Ari Matikainen, Ida Karoskoski, Katja Koivisto
- Premiere
- 22.11.2024
- SES grant
- 140 000 €
- Budget
- 325 000 €
- Production companies
- Kinocompany Oy
- Distribution companies
- Cinemanse
The significance of the WWII intelligence officer’s secret past begins to be revealed as his grandson begins to investigate his family’s history and his grandfather’s international espionage networks. As the mystery unfolds, it becomes clear that the grandfather had to work under the constant threat of the Soviet Union, delivering his findings first to Germany and its allies and, after the war, to NATO.
The film also paints a startling picture of Finland’s role as a playing field for international espionage. The protagonist’s observations of the secrets that have been passed down through generations help us reflect on our own safety today. Have we learned anything in this changed world?
Beard
- Category
- Documentaries
- Directors
- Kristiina Karsten, Otso Reunanen, Silja Salmi
- Screenwriters
- Otso Reunanen, Silja Salmi, Kristiina Karsten
- Producers
- Silja Salmi, Otso Reunanen
- Release year
- 2024
- SES grant
- 15 000 €
- Budget
- 40 000 €
- Production companies
- Tuotantoyhtiö Opetuselokuvat Oy
Middle-aged priest Late Mäntylä has realized that having a beard allows them to reflect their inner self more authentically through their outward appearance. Makeup artist Kata Launonen has offered to show Late how to create one. The afternoon spent in the beauty salon represents the culmination of Late’s life-long journey of becoming themself.
The Making of a Japanese
- International co-production US-JP-FI-FR
- Category
- Documentaries
- Directors
- Ema Ryan Yamazaki
- Screenwriters
- Ema Ryan Yamazaki
- Producers
- Eric Nyari, Outi Rousu, Luc Martin-Goussat
- Premiere
- 5.4.2024
- SES grant
- 23 000 €
- Budget
- 504 000 €
- Production companies
- Pystymetsä Oy
- Distribution companies
- Pirkanmaan elokuvakeskus
Intimately following 1st and 6th graders at a public elementary school in Tokyo, we observe kids learning the traits necessary to become part of Japanese society.
How to Please
- Category
- Documentaries
- Directors
- Elina Talvensaari
- Screenwriters
- Elina Talvensaari
- Producers
- Jussi Rantamäki, Emilia Haukka
- Release year
- 2023
- SES grant
- 40 000 €
- Budget
- 78 000 €
- Production companies
- Elokuvayhtiö Aamu
In How to Please, Iraqi Wed Al-Asadi tells the story of how he got stuck in the Finnish asylum system. He tries his best to get through the bureaucratic maze, but realizes getting out becomes even more difficult than getting in.
Magnifica: Passive Intruder
- Category
- Documentaries
- Directors
- Ville Koskinen
- Screenwriters
- Ville Koskinen
- Producers
- Sandra Enkvist
- Release year
- 2024
- SES grant
- 70 000 €
- Budget
- 142 000 €
- Production companies
- Polygraf Oy
Magnifica: Passive Intruder is a film about the coexistence of Finnish people in their summer houses and an uninvited visitor called Pectinatella Magnifica. The arrival of the green and slimy blobs among the safe and familiar environment brings uncomfortable feelings in the self-indulgent middle-class. Some react in astonishment and attempt to annihilate the strange creature, but others have a less prejudiced approach.
Jope ite
- Category
- Documentaries
- Directors
- Marko Talli
- Screenwriters
- Mika Räinä, Nikke Bagge
- Producers
- Marko Talli
- Premiere
- 10.2.2023
- Production companies
- Yellow Film & TV
- Distribution companies
- SF Studios Oy
Children of War and Peace
- Category
- Documentaries
- Directors
- Ville Suhonen
- Screenwriters
- Ville Suhonen
- Producers
- Jouko Aaltonen
- Premiere
- 22.3.2024
- SES grant
- 105 000 €
- Budget
- 173 000 €
- Production companies
- Illume Ltd. Oy
- Distribution companies
- Pirkanmaan elokuvakeskus
Children of War and Peace is an archival documentary film that looks into nationalist education and the roles assigned to children which were directly guided by the state and authorities. All activities were aimed at military readiness for when the time comes. Children and young people were expected to be obedient, loyal, and honest. Their own needs and emotions were to be suppressed.
Home and Away
- Category
- Documentaries
- Directors
- Arto Halonen
- Screenwriters
- Arto Halonen
- Producers
- Arto Halonen
- Premiere
- 1.9.2023
- SES grant
- 89 000 €
- Budget
- 297 000 €
- Production companies
- Art Films production AFP Oy