What happens when ”the lay of the land” and good governance collide? Dubbed ”the Kittilä Crisis” in Wikipedia, the dispute still employs several levels of jurisdiction after more than a decade. Director Pauliina Punkki decided to move to Kittilä in 2018 to make some sense of the events.
It all starts when the municipality of Kittilä decides to hire Anna Mäkelä, a well-qualified and progressive woman from the capital region, as the new mayor. Back then seen as a ”refreshing choice,” words of praise turn to distrust and vilification when the interests of the law-loving mayor and local circles collide, and Mäkelä ”makes the mistake” of reporting suspected misconduct to the police.
The parties of the controversy are portrayed without superfluous exposition or dramatisation. Framed by news clips, many speak their minds on the events, letting the viewer form their own opinion. In fact, the documentary presents the case so well that the prosecutors used it to petition the Supreme Court for annulment of judgement concerning Mäkelä’s termination.
Liina Härkönen