'Under the North Star'/ Here, Beneath the North Star
Täällä Pohjantähden alla
(Här under polstjärnan/ Under Polstjärnan)
A Sarkcsillag alatt (Hungarian title)
Sous l'Etoile polaire (French title)
Hier unter dem Polarstern (German title)
Available on DVD
Finland 1968 colour 186min Fennada-Filmi
***
Drama
cast: Aarno Sulkanen (Akseli Johannes Koskela), Titta Katajakorpi (Elina Koskela), Kalevi Kahra (Aadolf Halme), Pekka Autiovuori (Oskari Kivivuori), Risto Taulo (Jussi from Koskela), Anja Pohjola (Alma), Rose-Marie Precht (Ellen Salpakari), Matti Ranin (Lauri Albin Salpakari), Mirjam Novero (Anna), Tuula Nyman (Elma), Kauko Helovirta (Otto), Elsa Turakainen (Henna), Veikko Sinisalo (Anttoo), Heikki Kinnunen (Valenti Leppänen), Helge Herala (Vikki), Olavi Ahonen (Late), Mikko Niskanen, Ville Salminen (Granlund), Arvo Lehesmaa, Ekke Hämäläinen, Rolf Labbart, Taneli Rinne, Jukka Sipilä, Olavi Tuomi
credits: dir. Edvin Laine (also script with Väinö Linna,
Juha Nevalainen and Matti Kassila), DOP Olavi Tuomi, costumes Aino Mantsas-Kassila, assistant director Pekka Parikka
Year: 1880-something. Jussi from Koskela is poor but he asks if he could build his home to the vicar's swamp. The man agrees. When all seems to be fine, jealous people come and spoil poor man's dream. Briefly: people go through hard times in the yesterday's Finland. Hard it is also to watch if you want to be wake all of time. This film is too... serious.
TRIVIA: The director (Laine), the set decorator (Ensio Suominen) and the leading man (Kahra) got "the Finnish Oscar", Jussi for this movie.
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