Finlandia's Nordic Film Series begins Oct. 9

HANCOCK -- The Finlandia University Finnish American Heritage Center begins its fall Nordic Film Series today, October 9, with five new documentaries from noted filmmaker and frequent area visitor Erkki Määttänen. Showings are at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The featured short films are about Finnish and Finnish-American musicians and artists, with the exception of Todistajat (Witnesses), a documentary about a group of Finns whose parents (some of whom had returned to Karelia, Finland, from North America) disappeared in the Soviet Union during the Stalinist purges of the 1930s.

Other films to be shown October 9 include, Suomalaisia kaikuja or Finnish Echoes in the Midwest about a number familiar Finnish American musicians and the places they perform in Michigan and Minnesota; Jim Johnson about the Finnish-American poet from Duluth; and Peruna-Jussin rytmiluut or Johnnie Perona’s Rhythm Bones about the 85-year-old rhythm bones musician of Calumet.

Other films are Gerry about Duluth kantele maker Gerry Henkel and Les Ross, Suupelin soittaja (Les Ross, Mouth Organ Player) about a Negaunee musician who plays harmonica in traditional Finnish-American lumberjack style.

Finally, Lännen-Jukka etsimässä or Looking for Lännen-Jukka explores the music of J. Karjalainen, one of Finland’s most popular singer-songwriters and a well-known devotee of American bluegrass.

Last year Karjalainen released the CD, Lännen Jukka, Amerikansuomalaisia lauluja (Jukka of the West, Finnish-American songs), a collection of American blues songs with Finnish lyrics and a tribute to his musical mentor, Hiski Salomaa, an early Finnish American songwriter who at one time lived in South Range. The album was widely considered one of the best Finnish recordings of 2006.

The films include a number of western Upper Peninsula faces and places, including Jingo Wiitala-Vachon, and the Happala Brothers (George and Albert) from Bruce Crossing, Runeberg Hall in Dollar Bay , The Mosquito Inn and Toivola Lunch of Toivola, and the Co-op Hall in Bruce Crossing.

Film director Erkki Määttänen has been making documentaries for the Finnish Broadcasting company for 30 years. He has made 80 short and feature-length documentaries all over the world. Määttänen’s films have been shown at film festivals in USA, Canada, Europe and Russia. He has filmed a number of documentaries in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

The Nordic Film Series occurs on the second Thursday of each month. The films, which show at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., offer the area’s only opportunity to see contemporary Finnish, Sami and Norwegian films. November’s movie is the Finnish film, Colorado Avenue.

For additional information, please contact the Finnish American Heritage Center at 906-487-7505.