Lauded as a poet and the co-screenwriter of Juho Kuosmanen’s The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki, Mikko Myllylahti’s debut feature is a combination of arctic comedy and surrealism. The Woodcutter Story saw its world premiere at Cannes Critics’ Week, where it won the Next Step Award. The film’s protagonist Pepe (Jarkko Lahti) is living a life comparable to Job in the Bible – his positive attitude is put to a serious test by a downward spiral of unfortunate events.
Set in the melancholy land of Northern Finland, this dark comedy is not a gloomy story in the most traditional sense. Untypically for a Finnish film, the imagery includes a talking pike; a car moving on its own while on fire; a ball of lightning coming out from the TV set; and a psychic musician – reminiscent of Olavi “Olliver Hawk” Hakasalo, a hypnotist from years past – running a small cult in the village.
Featuring characters speaking in Kaurismäki-esque sentences, minimalist interiors, and snowy landscapes, this film is a timeless depiction of the Finnish proletariat, with a Lynchian twist.
Joonatan Nikkinen