{"id":30623,"date":"2026-05-22T10:13:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T07:13:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/msfilmfestival.fi\/?post_type=movies&p=30623"},"modified":"2026-05-22T10:14:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T07:14:12","slug":"happy-sassy-beautiful","status":"publish","type":"movies","link":"https:\/\/msfilmfestival.fi\/en\/movies\/happy-sassy-beautiful\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy Sassy Beautiful"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cYou\u2019re finally realizing your mission \/ you don\u2019t need anyone\u2019s permission.\u201d <\/span>In this biographical film, it takes Finnish singer Kaija Koo decades to understand the message she\u2019s been trying to hammer into her audience\u2019s heads through her songs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kaija Kokkola (<\/span>Oona Airola) captivates local audiences as a band singer in Helsinki in the 1980s, but her career is cut short by the anxiety triggered by the death of her father. Supported by the faith and songwriting skills of her partner Markku Impi\u00f6 (<\/span>Jari Virman)\u00a0 she pushes herself to launch a solo career. She finds success, but not always on her own terms.<\/span><\/p>\n

The film is that rare example of a celebrity portrait that doesn\u2019t function simply as fan service. Director <\/span>Selma Vilhunen is known for reinventing the tired tropes of interpersonal dramas and skilfully sculpts the protagonist into a living, breathing human instead of a cardboard PR cutout.<\/span><\/p>\n

Happy Sassy Beautiful <\/span><\/i>lends itself to multiple interpretations: an empowering story peppered with Finnish pop music, a depiction of the long shadow cast by alcoholism or just a raucous sing-along.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kaisu Tervonen<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cYou\u2019re finally realizing your mission \/ you don\u2019t need anyone\u2019s permission.\u201d In this biographical film, it takes Finnish singer Kaija Koo decades to understand the message she\u2019s been trying to hammer into her audience\u2019s heads through her songs. Kaija Kokkola (Oona Airola) captivates local audiences as a band singer in Helsinki in the 1980s, but… View Article<\/a>","protected":false},"featured_media":30621,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-30623","movies","type-movies","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","filters-new-finnish-films","filters-puhuttu-tai-tekstitetty-suomeksi-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHappy Sassy Beautiful — Midnight Sun Film Festival<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Kaija Kokkola (Oona Airola) captivates local audiences as a band singer in Helsinki in the 1980s, but her career is cut short by the anxiety triggered by the death of her father. Supported by the faith and songwriting skills of her partner Markku Impi\u00f6 (Jari Virman)\u00a0 she pushes herself to launch a solo career. 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