Skin Skin
Feb 08, 2008
Mikko Niskanen, 1966, Finland, 35mm, 89 min
Sponsored by the Finlandia Foundation, UW Department of Scandinavian Studies, American Scandinavian Foundation
SISU CINEMA: NINE FROM THE FINNISH NEW WAVE
This depiction of four urban youths and their excursion to the countryside was among the most popular films of the 1960s in Finland. It tackles a theme that is reminiscent of the German PEOPLE ON SUNDAY of 1929. The film marked Kaj Chydenius' start as a film composer and features several songs that have since become Finnish evergreens. Additionally, it showcases a brilliant cast of four actors who created a fun, but melancholy, portrayal of youth, sexual liberation and the obstacles to love. For the young people in this Finnish film, the countryside is no longer a place to work or live, but an embodiment of natural freedom.