Oma maa (Land of Hope)
2018
***
Director: Markku Pölönen
Cast: Oona Airola, Konsta Laakso, Helmi Linnosmaa, Antti Virmavirta, Marjaana Maijala, Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Arto Heikkilä, Marja Packalén, Mika Nuojua, Henri Tuominen, Sanna-Kaisa Palo, Olli Riipinen, Elina Saarela
At the end of World War 2, Anni falls in love with Veikko, a wounded veteran, and decides to leave her cushy life behind. The newlywed couple plan to clear a farm in a remote forest plot in Eastern Finland, but is love enough to carry them through the hardship? After a 9-year hiatus, Markku Pölönen returns to what he is best known for. This is another charming and well-acted romantic drama drenched in nostalgia. Although the script by Pölönen and Antti Heikkinen is quite predictable, their story is a moving tribute to love, perseverance, and hard labour.
