Jättiläinen (The Mine)
2016
****
Director: Aleksi Salmenperä
Cast: Joonas Saartamo, Jani Volanen, Peter Franzén, Saara Kotkaniemi, Elena Leeve, Leea Klemola, Pertti Sveholm, Jussi Nikkilä, Pirjo Lonka
This compelling docudrama depicts the highs and lows of the Talvivaara nickel mine in central Finland. The story, which starts in 2003, has two protagonists who never meet: a ruthless businessman who runs the mining company and a young and principled civil servant who is pressured to approve the mine's environmental permit. The sharp and witty fact-based script by Pekko Pesonen reveals the depressing circumstances that led to an environmental disaster. The performances are excellent and Pesonen' dialogue, often the weak point of Finnish films, is terrific.
