Ohjus (The Missile)
2024
****
Director: Miia Tervo
Cast: Oona Airola, Pyry Kähkönen, Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Tommi Korpela, Jarkko Niemi, Emma Kilpimaa, Tommi Eronen, Ona Kamu, Sakari Kuosmanen, Milka Ahlroth, Kai Lehtinen, Turkka Mastomäki, Kari Väänänen, Sanna-Kaisa Palo, Tiina Tauraite
Niina, a single mother in an abusive relationship, starts work at the local newspaper just as a Soviet missile strays across the border and crash-lands in a nearby lake. Like Aurora, Miia Tervo's delightful debut, her second film is set in Lapland and inspired by real events in December 1984. This is a moving and entertaining, though slightly overlong, comedy-drama about setting and violating boundaries. As Niina attempts to find new strength and confidence, Tervo's clever script parallels the geopolitical tensions with her personal challenges. The soundtrack features some poignant, if familiar, 80s tunes.
