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Reviews
Helsinki, ikuisesti (2008)
The history of Helsinki
Documentary on the city of Helsinki that is beautifully scripted, piecing together very old to more recent footage of all areas of the city. It covers the time period from around the turn of the century to the 1990s. It also includes footage from classic Finnish films that were filmed and based in Helsinki. It is beautifully narrated throughout (english subtitles as well) and shows a fair amount of the work from the famous Finnish still photographer Signe Brander (1869- 1942), who was famous for her street shots and vignettes of everyday life in Finland. Much/most of her work was done in Helsinki. If you are familiar with Helsinki, and you love its history - this is a must watch for you.
Torjutut muistot (2005)
Beautiful and haunting documentary
The documentary is based on the director's mother and aunt (twin sisters) who grew up under the terrors of Soviet occupation in Estonia. The film itself is a mix of personal memories of the occupation/Stalin's concentration camps and old footage. The girls were ten when the country was occupied. Not only are the girls interviewed, but also others affected by the occupation, including former Estonians who served in the Soviet army during the war. As the painful history of the director's mother unfolds, so does the history of the Estonian nation. As the film shows, survival during the occupation depended upon the suppression of memory, which makes it only more difficult to watch. The film is heartbreaking, but beautifully done.