Espoo Ciné has unveiled the first highlights of its 2026 programme. The festival, taking place from 21–30 August 2026, will present the Finnish premiere of Blue Baby, the latest film by Klaus Härö. This timely and humane drama explores the encounter between two women against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis in the healthcare sector. The festival will also screen In-I In Motion, the directorial debut of acclaimed French actress Juliette Binoche, a documentary exploring dance and creative process.
Härö’s new film Blue Baby follows Inka, a highly dedicated specialist nurse, who provides support and reassurance to Leni, a new mother struggling with concern for her newborn baby in intensive care. As nurses engage in industrial action, love, duty and life itself are put to the test. Inka and Leni are portrayed by Laura Birn and Oona Airola. Key supporting roles are played by Jussi Vatanen and Mari Rantasila. Distributed by B-Plan, the film will be released in cinemas on 11 September 2026.
In-I In Motion premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. The documentary chronicles the dance performance created by Binoche together with English choreographer Akram Khan, while also offering an intimate look at the creative process behind the production.
The festival poster has been designed by Espoo-based multidisciplinary artist Teemu Keisteri. “The playful poster designed by Teemu Keisteri evokes the tangible joy and magic of the cinema experience: film, its presentation, and the act of watching together are an invitation to adventure, offering a welcome counterpoint to the numbing endless stream of images,” comments Tytti Rantanen, Executive Director of Espoo Ciné.
In a reveal fitting for Pride Month, the festival will also present Iván & Hadoum, a standout from the Berlin International Film Festival and winner of the Teddy Award. Directed by Ian de la Rosa, this passionate and vibrant romance is a greenhouse-set Romeo and Juliet story. It follows Iván, a trans man recently promoted to a supervisory role, whose loyalties are tested when he falls in love with Hadoum, a Spanish-Moroccan colleague.
Noomi Rapace stars as Mother Teresa in Mother (2025), the first English-language feature by Macedonian filmmaker Teona Strugar Mitevska. The film premiered in the Orizzonti section of the Venice International Film Festival. It tells the story of how Mother Teresa left her convent in Kolkata to establish her own religious order.
The full Espoo Ciné programme will be announced on 30 July, with individual screening tickets going on sale on 4 August. Festival passes are already available through our ticket shop.