Jed (19) walks out on his former life, without destination, without explanation, and gets on a train. He ends up by happenstance in a small eastern town in Finland where he soon comes face to face with the daily rigors of independent life. Coping becomes a challenge for him almost to the point of being an obsession. Of all the people in town, Jed seems to constantly run across the prickly and quick-witted Lulu (17). Gradually, without either of them admitting it, their relationship changes from bickering, picking on each other and a battle of wills to friendship, and as can happen, finally to love.
Acting
Geitel and Maalismaa's bickering has genuine electricity.
Direction
Niemi lets silences breathe like a Finnish winter.
Cinematography
Bleak eastern Finland becomes unexpectedly romantic.
Director
Raimo O. Niemi
Jon Jon Geitel
Jed
Pihla Maalismaa
Lulu
Heikki Silvennoinen
Saastamoinen
Antti Virmavirta
Markku Laakso
Kari Heiskanen
Juhani Pohjakallio
Risto Salmi
Iso-Antti
Joonas Makkonen
Körri's banger
Kristiina Elstelä
Veera
Marjaana Maijala
Marja, Lulun äiti
Katariina Kaitue
Eeva Pohjakallio, Jedin äiti
Oiva Lohtander
Pikku-Antti
Jon Eikemo
Børje
Max Ovaska
Körri
Taisto Reimaluoto
Immonen
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The film captures a specific Finnish phenomenon — 'maalle muutto' or escape to rural nowhere — that peaked during the 2008 economic crisis among young adults.
Jon Jon Geitel was primarily a musician before this; his awkward physicality as Jed was reportedly unintentional — director Niemi kept the takes where he genuinely didn't know what to do with his hands.
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