Teemu Nikki is one of the most prolific directors in Finland who, with his writer-producer partner Jani Pösö, may create several feature films and series a year, not forgetting short films. At the outset, their themes may seem very different, but what they all have in common is the knack for dealing with serious, even gruesome issues through black humour.
Risto (Pekka Strang) is an undertaker whose proverbial house of cards is about to collapse due to his gambling addiction. Risto’s neighbour Arto (Jari Virman) is a sweet-natured kindergarten teacher, whose world is rocked when he is revealed to be an anatomical freak of nature. The paths of these two desperate men cross, but Risto’s addiction takes them even further towards the bottom, lined in plastic tarp and streaked with blood.
For his recent films, Nikki has received production and financing assistance from Italy, where they clearly appreciate original filmmaking. For his role as the brainless but ever-so soulful Arto, Jari Virman received the Jussi Award for Best Supporting Role.
Liina Härkönen