Senni Nieminen

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 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.

Fashion Designer Anne must decide between Toivo, an architect ten years her senior, and French businessman, Jacques, with whom she's been living for three years.

Life on a farm in Kitkankoski is disrupted when construction of a hydroelectric power plant begins in the area. Determined Emma, who has returned from America, and stubborn local farmer Jeremias Junnila clash when Junnila refuses to produce milk for the construction site. At the same time, a romance blossoms between Junnila's daughter Hillevi and Eero, who works at the construction site, but Eero is not the only worker who seeks Hillevi's love.

Log driver brothers and crooks compete in trying to find loot of an old bank robbery in a supposedly haunted inn.

Paavo and Eeva, two young people who have moved from the countryside to the city, meet a gang led by Kalle, who spend their time loitering and committing petty crimes. A fateful evening on a motorboat irrevocably changes the young people's lives.

Set in early 16th century Finland, a knight Olavi Gideoninpoika meets Mirjam Raakelintytär and falls in love. Mirjami hides in a monastery disguised as a choir boy, but is revealed by a monk Rasmus, who also desires her, and is put on trial.

Based on short stories by early 20th century feminist writer Maria Jotuni, the film is a series of lively dialogue scenes between men and women, young and old, living in a small Finnish town. Most episodes evolve into humorous battles between the sexes. The film's central character is a young maid played by Maija Karhi.

A documentary about three of Finland's major cities: Turku, Tampere, and Helsinki, showcasing each city's history, geography, and culture.

Laila and Lasse are two teenagers dreaming about careers as singers. Lasse's brother Rami dreams about motorbike racing and dates a pretty blond Anjukka. Her father works in the hot new field of TV advertising, which might be a good route to stardom for Laila and Lasse. But then Anjukka sets her eyes on Lasse and Rami sets his on Laila, and many a popular hit melody is sung in between.

Sisters Irma and Airi Ranna's café Iltatähti has run into financial trouble. Touring musicians Heikki and Jussi end up as tenants in the same boarding house where the siblings and the poetic accountant live. Since the landlady does not allow music in her nursing home, the musicians practice at Iltatähti and revolutionize the life of the cafe.

A radio reporter from Helsinki arrives in the village of Kankkula just before Midsummer to conduct interviews. The old sheriff demands that his nephew Lauri, who serves as the village policeman, continue the generations-old tradition of arresting the old master of Tippavaara, whom the sheriff believes to be brewing moonshine. However, Lauri is in love with the old man's niece Leena, and the couple's plans to get engaged conflict with Lauri's duties.

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.

Jooseppi Kenkkunen becomes a moonshiner in order to provide for his wife Kaisa-Reetta and his large family during the Prohibition era in Finland.

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.

In the 1880s, an unruly group of Cossacks stays in Sankola's house in Hämälä. Soon the group's leader Kuisma sets his sights on the house's adopted daughter Helina . Isma, the owner of the farm, has also fallen in love with Helina.