Even
though the French projectors had circulated through showing their films, the
country of Finland wasn't independent until after World War I, in 1917. The
film industry was basically non-existant.
Jorn
Donner, a maverick Finn, thumbed his nose at the establishment in the 1960’s
with some sophisticated sex comedies such as Black on White (1966), and also
produced films by a handful of other young directors.
The Finnish
Film Foundation, which is the primary financier of film projects in Finland
wasn't established until 1969.
In the
1970s and 80s, only a few promising directors emerged, primarily Rauni Mollberg
amd Rostp Jarva but tragically, Risto Jarva, died in a traffic accident following
the premiere of his finest film, The Year of the Hare (1977).
In the
early 1980’s a mini-revolution in Finnish cinema was led by two brothers,
Mika and Aki Kaurismäki, but they released a few light films then went
their separate ways.
The rising
hopefuls currently include Olli Saarela, Lauri Torhonen, and Markku Lehmuskallio,
who for years has made documentaries winning a host of awards at festivals.