
Valentin Vaala
Directing
Biography
Valentin Vaala was born in 1909 Helsinki to a Russian-Finnish family. Vaala began his career in the 20s and was noticed in Finland for his international and modern style. Overall his career was a long one, and he ended up directing 44 feature films between 1929 and 1963.
Known For

A story about Meeri who is going through a divorce. She is hiding the relationship with a boxer. After seeing an advertisement in a magazine, she then hires a cavalier from an ad agency to escort her home from an upper-class party.
Vuokrasulhanen

A story set over one night in a small rural community we watch various relationships and actions among local people; these include birth, death, and conflicts fuelled by alcohol. The fates of various characters become interlaced over a long and light-filled summer night in the Finnish countryside. Lumberjacks, a deer-eyed young man Nokia, a family of poor farmers, a young girl and her lover. New life is born, old life dies, man is slain in his prime, and his widow continues her life.
People in the Summer Night

A smart set girl wants more excitement in her life and ends being mixed up in criminal activities.
Dynamiittityttö

A story of the conflict between the old and new orders of living.
Niskavuoren naiset

Ilona Jonsson deceives the old industrialist Österberg. He takes pity on the poor girl, who looks like the doppelganger of his dead daughter. Also involved in the plot are Ilona's father, who was supposedly at sea but has just been released from prison, his accomplices Murto-Kalle and Ventti-Ville, a rival criminal gang, and the councilor's relatives, who are guarding their inheritance money.
Omena putoaa…

The director's daughter, Raila Tuulo, is the only one who has seen the burglar terrorizing the city, the mysterious "Blue Overalls," and recognizes him as Joel Ormak. Under Raila's influence, Joel gives up his wild lifestyle and his former love interest, the vampish Iris Vild. But a murder takes place at a nightclub, and the victim's last words are Joel's name. Approximately 16 minutes of footage and excerpts from the film have been preserved.
Sininen varjo

A traditional misunderstanding story with an unfounded suspicion of jealousy at the beginning. Childhood friends Kati Jorma and Jalmari Karvi do not reveal their previous meetings to their suspicious spouses.
Minäkö isä!

Strong women take care of the property while the men focus on chasing women.
Loviisa – Niskavuoren nuori emäntä

A nobleman in 1830's Finland has to contend with stuck-up relatives, his daughters' suitors, dark secrets from his family's past, mistaken identities and a haunted wing of his mansion.
Linnaisten vihreä kamari

The new steward of Siltala ends up falling in love with the beautiful widow of the house. Their romance is endangered by misunderstandings and the fact that the estate of Siltala is swimming in debt. And the new steward isn't quite what he seems to be.
Siltalan pehtoori

Tuulikki Tenho, who lied about her marital status to get a job as a secretary at a timber company, has to pretend that she is married to Yrjö Aaltonen, an architect she has just met. A romance begins to blossom between the couple, but it is revealed that Yrjö is already engaged to Virva Lieki, a dancer returning to Finland from abroad.
Minä ja mieheni morsian

Tornionjokilaakso at the end of the 19th century, Paloniemi's landlord Heikki tries to get out of his financial difficulties with the help of his son Juhan and Nuottaniemi's only daughter Hanna. The happiness of Hanna, who has fallen in love with Antti of Rehti Koskenalusta, is threatened by the evil and dangerous Korpikoski.
Koskenlaskijan morsian

Irmeli wants a certain job as a secretary but finds out that she would have to be married in order to get the vacancy. She lies that she has recently married and then gets a stranger from a nearby restaurant to pose as her husband. Complications arise when they have to continue their charade.
Mieheke

The romantic musical comedy Kaikki rakastavat is a key work in Finnish film history since it was the first feature film of Valentin Vaala as the house director of Suomi-Filmi and the film which launched the most beloved screen couple of Finland, Tauno Palo and Ansa Ikonen.
Kaikki rakastavat

Poor but ambitious country girl Hulda arrives in the country's capital and gets a job as a maid for a bachelor Member of Parliament, Judge Soratie. She works hard, never loses her common sense, and starts taking evening classes. Keeping her studies secret from her employer for years, she eventually graduates from the university and becomes candidate in the parliamentary election, stressing women's and working people's rights. Romance with Judge Soratie finally ensues.
Juurakon Hulda

A young man arrives in the village. He becomes a miller and delights the girls in the village, which evokes bitterness in others. He is subject to moralistic criticism, even though he is in fact only in love with the tailor's daughter.
Nuori mylläri

A bored rich girl falls in love with a dock worker.
Rikas tyttö

A young woman leaving the city for the countryside encounters the concept of voluntary work - new to her. She eventually does good, and charms the employer at the same time.
Tositarkoituksella

Jarvala's daughter Aliina and the miller Jalmari Hurttia are in love with each other. Jarvala's father does not approve of the miller as a son-in-law, because he wants his daughter to marry into wealth. The wealthy widower Elias Horha proposes to Aliina, who eventually agrees to marry the old man.
Keinumorsian

Katri Vesa, a young woman from Helsinki, has fallen in love with Erkki Kovalinna, an ambitious young official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is prepared to do anything to win his affection. At her friend's suggestion, Katri leaves the city to make Erkki miss her and finds her life's mission in the countryside in Kari Tuulos, a scientist who lost his sight in an explosion.