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Section: International Competition of European First Feature Films
Diva of Finland (2019)
As Henna turns 18, she is anxious. She’s fed up with her small rural town in Northern Finland and the future seems scary. But now that she’s 18 there’s light at the end of the tunnel. After this last winter she can move away from the small town and start her own life. But something else happens on her birthday; a new girl moves right next door, and she’s about to mix things up. The girl, Silja is from a big city in Southern Finland. She seems to excel in everything Henna wants to be good at, plus she charms everyone around Henna, especially her best friends, a pair of twins called Iris and Ii. As Silja steals Henna’s spotlight, Henna is struck by a wave of vicious envy, and envy makes Henna obsessive about Silja, which may lead to her own downfall.
| Country | Finland |
|---|---|
| Year | 2019 |
| Duration | 90 min |
| Rating | 15 |
| Language | Finnish |
| Subtitle | Czech, English |
| Directed by | Maria Veijalainen |
| Screenplay | Maria Veijalainen |
| Director of Photography | Joonas Pulkkanen |
| Music | Risto Ylihärsilä |
| Edited by | Katja Pällijeff |
| Contact | The Finnish Film Foundation |
Biography
Director of Karelian-Finnish origin. She studied directing at the Helsinki Film School (ELO). She is credited with the short film 99 Problems (99 ongelmaa eli mä oon miettiny näitä mun ajatuksia, 2014) and her feature comedy debut Diva of Finland (2019). She also writes songs in the spirit of folk tradition.
Psychology, Female Director, Teenagers, Friendship, Empathy, First Feature