1. The Wind Is Blowing Through My Heart (Váimmustan lea biegga)
A documentary about Áillohaš , a musician, painter, and poet of the Sámi people in Finland.
2. Playing with Gods (Jumalten keinussa)
The documentary dives intimately behind the scenes of the Finnish National Opera and sucks the viewer in like the best of thrillers. The three hours fly by, even for those who aren’t necessarily interested in opera as an art form.
3. War and Peace of Mind (Sota ja mielenrauha)
War and Peace of Mind explores what war does to the human mind and how both, the individuals and the nation as a whole, survive it psychologically. Finland and WWII, locally known as continuation war, is the backdrop of this documentary.
It has an average vote of 7.3 on TMDB.
4. World's Greatest Logging Site (Maailman suurin tukkisavotta)
A documentary short on logging during winter season.
It has an average vote of 7.5 on TMDB.
5. The Reporter (Karpo)
Documentary about a Finnish reporter, Hannu Karpo. The movie follows Karpo's decades-long career as a journalist, and how he became a phenomenon and known by the whole nation.
It has an average vote of 7.273 on TMDB.
6. The Long Shift (Pitkä vaihto)
A small town ice hockey team fights through their first season in an upper division. The players' dreams might have changed from childhood but their love for the sport does not fade.
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
7. David – Stories of Honour and Shame (Daavid - tarinoita kunniasta ja häpeästä)
Documentary about Finnish Jews during WWII and their unique position as German allies.
8. Wandering in the White (Vaeltajat)
When two former top orienteers end up in a snowstorm in Lapland wilderness, they face an impossible orienteering task: how to reach your destination when you can't tell earth from sky?
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
9. Finlandia (Finlandia)
A documentary from Erkki Karu, one of the earliest pioneers of Finnish cinema: This government-produced propaganda film introduces the nature, sports, military, agriculture and capital of Finland.
It has an average vote of 2 on TMDB.
10. Ukonvaaja (Ukonvaaja)
Ukonvaaja - The Hammer of Ukko - is a documentary film that focuses on ancient Finnish folklore and mythology.
It has an average vote of 5 on TMDB.
11. Atlas
The concept of machine-made knit was known as early as the 1850s, but it was only during the 1920s that the quality of the material had improved. When the plant known as "Atlas" was introduced in 1931, the shop windows drew a lot of attention, and Aho & Soldan was ordered to make a promotional film. In this well-paced film, we see the jersey production step by step.
12. Rogue Reporters (Pesänlikaajat - erään kirjakohun anatomia)
The documentary tells the story of the political scandal caused by the book 'The Spoils of Tamminiemi' from the perspective of the journalists who wrote it. The time of the book's publication was the worst time of the Finlandization, Soviet spies worked behind the scenes and the power struggle was heating up, who would be successor of the President Kekkonen? The authors of the book appeared under pseudonyms, but the subjects of the writings were named, and it revealed everything that had been going on behind the scenes.
It has an average vote of 7 on TMDB.
13. With Tired Theodore to the Putte's Mill (Med trötte Teodor till Puttes kvarn)
The old bus "Tired Theodore" came into service in 1954 and operated for long periods along the line Lumparland - Mariehamn. One summer day a number of older people had gathered for a bus ride along the winding country roads in Lumparland, and to relive old memories. At the same time one of the locals, Putte Karlsson, took up a large project: rebuilding the old mill in Lumparby. The mill was owned by his grandfather, skipper and farmer in the village. Sawmills previously existed in many villages in Åland Islands but today they are no longer in use. It is a big challenge and many are skeptical that Putte will put everything to work.
14. Forever Yours (Ikuisesti sinun)
Forever Yours is a film about children who have been taken into custody. Through the children, their biological parents and foster parents, the film depicts love in everyday life. The film explores the invisible bond between a child and a biological parent. Even when a child is taken into custody, the yearning for closeness to the biological parents and need for their approval never seems to disappear. This longing is a form of loneliness that the foster parents struggle to overcome. The film describes the entire foster care process: a child being brought into a shelter home, a teenager’s everyday life in a foster family, and siblings preparing to return to their biological mother, after five years in a foster family.
It has an average vote of 5 on TMDB.
15. Haaveiden kääntöraide (Haaveiden kääntöraide)
Metro trains disappear on the turning track, only to immediately return on the same route. Tapio , Toni and Aksa are also stuck on these tracks. The men meet every morning in the square behind the Herttoniemi metro station, from where they transfer to Vuosaari in the metro's "restaurant car". Men's lives are dominated by alcohol and unemployment. The turning track of dreams follows the lives of Tapio, Toni and Aksa for a year - moments filled with joy, despair, self-destruction and friendship in the metro stations and trains of Eastern Helsinki. It gives voice to those who do not have special human dignity in the eyes of society.
16. A Good Day to Die (A Good Day to Die)
Several films have been made about the lives of train hobos, but Aleksi Pohjavirta's A Good Day to Die is probably the first Finnish documentary on the subject. The film follows Billy, who travels in a pump on freight trains. In the way of life, the feeling of freedom and letting yourself be carried away by chance are attractive and they make the train bomb strive for a windy ride again and again.
17. Tulevaisuuden rakentajat (Tulevaisuuden rakentajat)
For a hundred years, the Association of Finnish Student Unions has acted as the mouthpiece for Finnish university students. SYL opened its doors to the world and was a pioneer in both student health care and housing production. At the same time, there have been marches both for developing countries and against the Soviet Union.
18. Presidentin päivä (Presidentin päivä)
A documentary following a day in Urho Kekkonen's life as the president of Finland.
19. Disco and Atomic War (Disko ja tuumasõda)
A different history of the Cold War: how Estonians under Soviet tyranny began to feel the breeze of freedom when a group of anonymous dreamers successfully used improbable methods to capture the Finnish television signal, a window into Western popular culture, brave but harmless warriors who helped change the fate of an entire nation.
It has an average vote of 5.6 on TMDB.
20. Under Construction (Wanha Markku)
Markku built a house for his family with his own bare hands like a strong man is supposed to do. He worked hard from dawn to dusk, so that his seven children would have a roof above their heads. Unfortunately, the task ended up being too hard and Markku burnt out. One day, he left his family and disappeared abroad. The filmmaker travels to his childhood home to face his father, who he never got to know properly. Together they build a steel gate in front of the unfinished house, and try to create a relationship between each other.
It has an average vote of 7 on TMDB.
