Thursday, September 26, 2013

MOVIE: "Tie Pohjoiseen" / "The Road North" FREE @ UC Berkeley


UC Berkeley FREE Movie Nite!!!

Tie Pohjoiseen / The Road North




Tuesday, October 1, 6:30 PM 
at UC Berkeley Dwinelle Hall B-4


A prodigal father returns to Helsinki to reconnect with the son he abandoned 35 years earlier and con him into a journey towards the Arctic Circle in this jaunty comedy.

Overweight and shambling but still charismatic, Leo (Finnish national treasure Vesa-Matti Loiri) has lived to pursue pleasure, always fleeing when he encountered problems. Now, as he nears the end of his metaphoric road, he wants to patch up all the potholes, although in his own unconventional, not necessarily legal way.

His son Timo is a concert pianist, and seems to be Leo's polar opposite: uptight, bound by rules, appointments and a constantly buzzing cell-phone. But out on the highway in the red Catalina convertible that Leo steals for the ride, Timo soon proves a chip off the old block.
Director Mika Kaurismaki's best films have dealt with music or road trips. Road Northcombines both elements along with plenty of heart and was one of Finland’s biggest box office hits of the past year. (http://www.psfilmfest.org/.)

DETAILS:

Finland

2012
110 Min
Color
Finnish

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Book Review: Pylväinen, Hanne, WE SINNERS, Picador, 2012, 189 Pages

Book Review: Pylväinen, Hanne, WE SINNERS, Picador, 2012, 189 Pages.
By Harry Siitonen
Not many Americans, including American Finns, know about a smallish fundamentalist branch of Nordic Lutheranism, called the Laestadians. A first novel by Hanna Pylväinen, who at one time belonged to that church, has written a fine work of fiction about a large Finnisl Laestadian family in current -day Michigan with a family name of Rovaniemi. It gives us a good picture of this religious denomination through the trials of this family as their children grow up.
The Laestadian religion, founded by Lars Levi Laestadius, a Swedish Sami reindeer herder in the mid-Nineteenth Century, consider the following as sins of worldliness: remarital sex, alcohol (except in a religious context), dancing, TV, movies, rythmic music, cosmetics, caed playing,earrings, school sports, tattoos and cursing. Neither do they approve of birth control, so many true believer Laestadian families have numerous children,who they celebrate as gifts from God.
The Rovaniemis are one such family, with nine children,seven girls and two boys.The novel traces their lives from children into adulthood, The father, Warren Rovaniemi, in the course of the story is elected minister of their church in the small community in which they live and the mother of the brood is the caring and loving Pirjo. They all know Finnish at least to some extent. As teenagers in a crowded household the kids squabble like those of any large family. often torn betwen their faith and the world looming around them. Eventually some of them reject the church and live secular lives and become college students which influene raises their sense of skepticism about their creedal upbringing. The oldest Brita stays in the church marries a carpenter whith whom she hasb sux sons through cearian section, and almost loses her own life and that of her seventh infant, again a boy.
One of the prime tenets of the religion is forgiveness. Anyone can confess theirsins to anyother person, most often other familymembers as well as the minister. THis is ofetn done daily as it's hard to resist worldly temptation. "Believe all our sins are forgiven in Jesus's name and precious blood" is the formulaic response that will give one grace. `      
Tiina, the second daughter, is the most irreverent of the family. She's a "party animal" with her all-nighters, and is the first to break with the family tradition and become an unbeliever. Pirjo discovers that one of her sons Simon is gay and finds it impossible in her heart to fully forgive him, and they become estranged. One of the younger sisters Julia also declares her unbelief. Nels.the devout son strays from the rightous path.and starts to drink heavily and is attracted to a sexy party girl Bernie who eggs him on so he temporarily loses his beloved Tricia who he wants to marry. Eventually Nels sees the error of his ways, gets forgiveness from equally devout Tricia and they marry and raise a family.
Yet as the younger Rovaniemis grow older and their differences grow larger due to the disparate differences in their lives, the significance of the earlier forgiveness factor in their religious training, helps hold the siblings together. That love is never lost. A dramatic moment ensues when Simon's lover and partner Christopher dies in a car accident in Boston where they live.. Julia and her aloof wise guy boy friend Will come to Boston to console Simon.  Nels flies in from Minneapolis but leaves Tricia and the kids at home, The irrepressible Tiina comes from New York for the funeral. After the service the family members gather at Simon's apartment to spend time wih him. All drink except for Nels and get sloppy. Tiina says she hated her parents for not coming. "I can't f*cking believe it. I always expected more of them," she blurted. Then Julia picked up the phone called home in Michigan. Her mother was on the other end of the line. "Why aren't you guys  here?" she posed. "--- Julia shouted. Why do you have to be such sanctimonious a**holes?"
Pirjo responds: We love Simon  Of course, we're so sorry to hear about his loss."
"Your loss," Julia retorts.
"It is never my job to make you comfortable about your lifestyle choices, " Pirjo answered. ""We're here to remind you of what is right. We know you know in your hearts what the right thing is. Of course, you know that...."
"A**holes," Julia shouts as she slams down the phone.
This is one bridge these two Rovaniemi generations will never cross. 


The author Hanna Päiväinen hails from suburban Detroit. Her BA is from Mount Holyoke College, her MFA from the University  of Michigan. She has earned a number of fellowship honors. She won the Whiting award for "We Sinners."  She is working on another novel about early Laestadian history to be entitled "The End of Drum Time."  She now lives in Brooklyn.

 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Siitonen's Sports Report, October 2013

FARSPORTS--OCT/2013
"It ain't over 'till it's over."  At least for Teemu Selänne, 43, the greatest Finnish NHL hockey player of all time, who has announced he'll play one more season--his last--for the Anaheim Ducks. His 15-year career in the North American biggies has included playing for Winnepeg, San Jose, and Colorado besides starring for the Ducks.  No Finn in NHL has matched his 675 goals and 765 assists in that span. But there's a promising second generation Selänne who is likely to go places in pro pucksterdom, too. One of Selänne's three sons, Eetu, 15, will be playing this coming season for the Calgary Hitmen's junior division in the Western Hockey League. Eetu had gotten a written bid from the Hitman a year earlier, but the letter had gotten lost in a pile of his Dad's fan mail.  
Finland's Marika Hara snapped up two individual golds in the World Bicycle Orienteering Championships at Rekvere, Estonia. The first was in the middle distance of 8.7 kilometres, and then in the long distance of 35.6 k. Susanna Laurila got a bronze in the middle, and a silver in the longer race.Eeva-Liisa Hakala
silvered in the sprint distance of 5.70K, won by Cecilia Thompson of Sweden. Finland also achieved the gold standard in the women's relay team event with stalwarts Ingrid Stengård, Laurila and Hara. Among the men's bike orienteers former world champ Samuli Saarela was third in the men's middle distance of 11.4K and second in the long. The Finnish men's relay team of Saarela, Pekka Niemi and Jussi Laurila brought home a silver with the gold going to the Czech Republic
Anne Rikola, 36,  had a world kayaking title bronze in the 5000m race at Duisburg and was fourth in her favorite distance of 1000 meters the day before. Six years ago Rikola had silvers in the world kayaking 200 and 500m.  Her last previous world title medal was a bronze again in the 5000m in 2010.
Last issue we promised some results from the World Bowling Championships in Las Vegas. Finland defeated USA in the team championships, 1,183-1,126, with Pertti Jussila, Tony Ranta, Petteri Walonen, Pasi Uotila and Osku Palerma.  Then USA turned the tables in the men's pairs,with John Sczcerbinski and Chris Barnes trimming Palerma and Uotila in the final, 569-473.  Joonas Lehkinen and Petteri Salomaa bronzed. USA's Bill O'Neill was the men's singles champ.
Tero Pitkämäki regained the season's world lead in the javelin with a mighty 89.03 meters while trying for a 90+m at Bad Kostritz, Germany. His PR was of 90.33 was set in his winning world championship throw at Osaka in 2007. The same day Antti Ruuskanen won the Elite Games jav at Tampere with 85.04, and was awarded 10,000 euros for the best athlete in the 2013 Finnish Elite Games series. Also at Tampere, Kenya's Agnes Chesong oudid Sandra Eriksson in the women's 3000m steeplechase, 9:36.33 to 9:40.86. 0ona Kettunen, 19, was third in 9:48.73. Ukraine's Hanna Platinsena outsprinted Finland's pride NooraLotta Neziri in the 100m hurdles, 13.08-13.13. Powerhouse Merja Korpela hurled the hammer for a 68.95m victory. 


At a September Zagreb, Croatia  IAAF track meet, Pitkämäki continued his domination with a winning 86.36, Ruuskanen second with 85.64, and Kenya's up-and-coming Julius Yego third with 84.92. In the Diamond League's final event at Brussels it was Pitkämäki up front again with 87.32, World Champ Vitezslav Vesely of the Czech Republic second with 86.69 and Ruuskanen third with 82.82. 
Next stop was the exciting ancient Finland-Sweden annual dual meet, this year at Stockholm. Again it was one-two Pitkämäki-Ruuskanen in the keihäs, 86.39-85.07, with Swede Kim Amb third with 82,82.  But otherwise, this intense but amicable rivalry did not bring good news to Finland this year as the Swedish men's track and fielders prevailed over the Finns, 235-173. The Svenska flickas beat the Suomen tytöt , 215-195. For most of the past recent years Finnish men have dominated the Swedes, while Swedish women had trounced their neighbors to the east--until last year, at the Olympic Stadium at Helsinki where Finnish dudes lost and Finnish maids won by a close margin.
Just to keep up our spirits, let's look at some of the other Finnish winners this year besides Pitkämäki/Ruuskanen, Pitkämäki/Ruuskanen: Anne Halkivaha, women's 5000m racewalk, 22:49.36/PB; Elina Torro, women's triple jump, 13.64m; Niklas Sandells, men's 1500m run, 3:45.78; Sandra Erikssen, 3000m women's steeple, 9:38.38/NR (old record: Johanna Lehtinen, 9:40.28, 2006); Jukka Keskisalo, men's steeple, 9:05.54; NooraLotta Neziri, women's 100m hurdles, 13.14; Venla Paunonen, 400m women's hurdles, 57.88; Merja Korpela, hammer, 66.31m.
But the most satisfying win of all was the Finnish women's triumph in the women's 4x100m relays in 44.31
seconds, the fastest Finnish time in six years. For this we can thank Maria Räsänen, Hanna-Maarit Latvala, Jonna Bergbom and Tiina Leppäkoski.
With the Winter Olympics coming up, Finland's top women's figure skater Kiira Korpi made some major
moves in her training. After an injury-plagued career she was again in top shape. Korpi switched her training locale to California from Finland and engaged a new coach, Russia's Rafael Arutyunyan, who had trained stars like Michelle Kwan, Mao Asada, and Jeffrey Brittle. The first phase of training was at Lake Arrowhead, to be moved at the end of September to the Olympic-sized rink at tha Artesia Ice Pavilion near LosAngeles.  But, alas, in checking out Finnish sports news on the Web this morning as I was writing this, I read that Kiira had sustained a partial tear in her left achilles tendon. She flew back to Finland to be examined as to the extent of the damage, to see if surgery was warranted.. Participation in a forthcoming meet was cancelled. Her Olympics appearance looks in doubt. Tough luck! We wishe Kiira a quick recovery.