Orenda
2025
***½
Director: Pirjo Honkasalo
Cast: Alma Pöysti, Pirkko Saisio, Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Luca Leino, Mikko Kauppila, Tambet Tuisk, Juhan Ulfsak, Krista Kosonen, Lauri Maijala, Ilo-Ann Saarepera, Maruska Verona, Ergo Küppas
Nora, an emotionally unsettled opera singer, travels to a remote island to bury her husband, who committed suicide. There she encounters Natalia, a priest who is struggling with a crisis of faith. Pirjo Honkasalo's atmospheric drama was written by its star, Pirkko Saisio, who is Honkasalo's partner in real life. Their third collaboration examines guilt, regrets, and suppressed memories. This is a heavy-going film, and I struggled to fully engage with its religious imagery, symbolism, and stilted dialogue. However, I must says this is one of the best-looking and best-sounding Finnish films I can remember.
