Klaus Härö’s latest film could be described as Finland’s Schindler’s List. The subject of this historically plausible-looking period film is a taboo-like disgrace in our country’s history: the Jewish asylum seekers handed over by Finland to Nazi Germany during the Continuation War. The central character of the story, presented as a flashback, is the merchant Abraham Stiller (1885-1972), interpreted by Ville Virtanen, reminiscing about the past in his old age. In a flashback set in Helsinki, we see how he risked his own life to do everything he could to save the Jewish refugees. The role of the villain is played by Kari Hietalahti as Arno Anthoni, the Director of Valpo, the security police, an anti-Semitic and Nazi-minded man.
The film, which Härö has been planning since 2005, is based on the biography Setä Stiller – Valpon ja Gestapon välissä (Uncle Stiller – Between Valpo and the Gestapo), written by Rony Smolar. The emotional film is a statement in favour of empathy and an important and timely opening for discussion as refugee policy continues to heat up.
Joonatan Nikkinen