Espoo Ciné's programme for the year 2023 has now been published. As usual, it offers European diversity, new gems, and encounters that challenge prejudices – a celebration of cinema! With over a hundred films, the programme enchants, entertains, and provokes, just as cinema should.
The 34th Espoo Ciné’s Opening Film is Fallen Leaves (Kuolleet lehdet) by Aki Kaurismäki. The highly anticipated film has attracted international interest and brings the guaranteed Kaurismäki quality to the big screen, as a sandblaster and a shop assistant fall in love in this gentle and subtly humorous tragicomedy.
For Junior Ciné, the Opening Film is Dancing Queen by Norwegian filmmaker Aurora Gossé. In the movie, 12-year-old Mina starts middle school and develops a crush on the newcomer ED Win. It turns out that ED Win is one of Norway's best hip-hop dancers, so Mina has no choice but to learn to dance herself. This charming and humorous dance drama warms hearts and stays relevant.
The Finnish Gala Premiere this year is Light Light Light (Valoa valoa valoa) by Inari Niemi. Set in an atmosphere that is a mixture of the 1980’s, the nearness of the Chernobyl disaster, and the ambience of a small Finnish town, the beautiful and sensitive film tells a love story between Mariia and Mimi. The young lead actors, Rebekka Baer and Anni Iikkanen, deliver a touching performances in this movie that is based on novel by Vilja-Tuulia Huotarinen.
Espoo Ciné’s Closing Film this year is Marco Bellocchio's Kidnapped. Bellocchio, known for his socially relevant works, presents a new historical drama about Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish boy. Based on true events, the film depicts how a nanny secretly baptizes Mortara as a Christian, after which the Pope’s officers kidnapped the young boy. The visually stunning movie skillfully portrays the world of 19th-century Italy amid political struggles.
The 34th Espoo Ciné will be held from August 18th to 27th, 2023. The full programme can be explored here.
