Auf Wiedersehen Finnland

Virpi Suutari’s new film uncovers an overlooked area in Finnish history; When German soldiers withdrew from Lapland in 1944, about a thousand Finnish women for various reasons left the country with them, the majority returning by 1948. A quarantine camp in Hanko, interrogations and contempt awaited them in their homeland.

Although it deals with war, the humane side of the stories, emotions, lie at the heart of the film. The skillful narrative constructs a coherent, cinematic whole from the women’s individual stories.The film required demanding preparations. Many told their stories, but refused to appear on camera. Those who experienced the events are now over 90 years old. Suutari has succeeded in creating a unique documentary: the women talk about their experiences for the first time with their own names and faces.

Liisa Lehmusto | Translation by Anna Volmari