Tangomarkkinat is an iconic summer event held in the Ostrobothnian city of Seinäjoki. Culminating in the crowning of a Tango King and Queen, the five-day event serves as the setting for this subtle comedy by director Jenni Toivoniemi and screenwriter Anna Brotkin.
The overworked and uptight ministerial aide Siiri (Aksa Korttila) is on a brief visit to her hometown, accompanying her boss (Leea Klemola) on a regional tour. To her chagrin, she sees her father, 90s Tango Prince Petri (Jani Volanen) crashing their reception. Petri has fallen on hard times, living in a loaned car, but keeps up the front by lies, if necessary. When the Minister decides to hold off on returning to Helsinki, the father and daughter ultimately have to face both each other and themselves on the Tango Festival Street.
Tango aside, the film captures something essential about Finnish summer events, where countless everyday dramas are acted out not on the stage but in beer tents and restaurant booths, and the search for one’s sense of worth sometimes outweighs the need for a romantic relationship.
Liina Härkönen