Death is a Problem for the Living

Undertaker Risto (Pekka Strang) is about to see his life collapse due to his crippling gambling addiction. His house of cards is crumbling, along with his remaining sense of dignity. Meanwhile, his neighbor Arto (Jari Virman), a kind-hearted kindergarten teacher, learns that he is an anatomical oddity: he has 85% less brain capacity than the average person. Their lives, both teetering on the edge, intersect in unexpected ways. What starts as an unlikely friendship quickly spirals into a bloody mess of desperation, driven by Risto’s deepening addiction. 

Director Teemu Nikki (his movie The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic was featured on the festival in 2021) blends typical dark Finnish humor with existential questions, delivering another one-of-a-kind film, elevated by Jari Virman’s brilliant performance, which earned him the Jussi Award for Best Supporting Role.