Emma Väänänen

The title of the Finnish film Elokuu translates to August. Directed by Matti Kassila, one of Finland's premiere filmmakers, Elokuu was adapted from a novel by Nobel prize winning finnish author F.E. Sillanpää. Simply put, the story concerns the decline and fall of a once-proud family, thanks to the alcoholism of its paterfamilias. Toivo Makela delivers a powerfully effective performance as the inebriated protagonist, avoiding the usual "drunken" cliches. The overlong running time, coupled with the downbeat nature of the subject, limited the film's worldwide appeal.

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.

Schoolboy Klaus is convicted of theft and sent to prison. At his release Klaus feels that his life has changed a lot. Despite all his hardship and difficulties he keeps up his studies under the supervision of the grim Master Kahari.

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.

Heta, the strong-willed daughter of the Niskavuori family, who is pregnant, marries Akusti, a farmhand, and remains bitter toward Santeria, who broke her heart. Heta and Akusti begin their life together on the modest Muumäki farm, where they are assisted by their loyal maid Siipirikko.

The life story of Aleksis Kivi, author of the first Finnish novel in Finnish language and (posthumously) its most successful writer.

The everyday life of the small village is mixed when a fire breaks out the night after the party. The cooperative manager and fire manager alerts the young judge Heiki to the extinguishing work, but due to the confusion, extinguishing the fire turns out to be more complicated than expected.

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.

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

No description available.

The film takes place in the summer and spring of 1940. Isä, the father, gets involved in the stock market and threatens the livelihood of the family.

Strong women take care of the property while the men focus on chasing women.

Documentary essay about the First Moscow International Film Festival, held in August 1959, about its participants and guests - Soviet and foreign actors, directors who came to the film forum.

Two men steal a precious candelabra at a mansion they accidentally burn down. Two years later, one of the thieves is a wealthy property owner. But he is tormented by his memories and debt.

Ahti Helpi, the pastor of a rural parish who sees himself as both a priest and a soldier, leaves for the front to continue the war. At home, his pregnant wife Lea takes care of their large family as well as the parishioners. They endure the difficult times by believing in God, home, and their fatherland.

Reino Köyri the son of a wealthy house falls off a horse and ends up at Liuhala's cottage to be treated by Venla. There he falls in love with the daughter of the house Anna. The couple’s cohabitation is hampered by previous commitments and ambiguities in kinship.

A mad writer checks into a hotel. In the window of a opposite building he sees four men and starts to write their life story. Every man is an anonymous person who have done or experienced something irreversible in his life. They end up together to plan a heist.

Dentist Lauri Liesi is performing as a magician in the Hotel Metropol. Meanwhile, during his performance top-secret letters of engineer Arpila are stolen from his room. Mr. Liesi is then being accused of the theft. To clear his name he starts to investigate and search the culprits from the criminal underworld. With the help of a former circus man Romonen he begins to unveil the truth.

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.

St.Petersburg, 1830. An arrogant Finnish baron is playing cards with a Russian officer. Needless to say, the Finn wins and the Russian gets extremely annoyed. The situation is not helped by the fact that the baron has been seeing a girl that the Russian officer has also set his eyes on. They decide to have a duel and after the Finn wins fair and square, he has to escape because the untrustworthy Russians are after him.