IHMISEN OSA

“Normally children visit their parents, not the other way around.” But what if you haven't shown an interest for so long that you don't know anything about each other? The dog having passed away, the Malmikunas finally want to visit their three adult children in Helsinki. The latter however have become so bogged down in their own, complicated lives that the parents' intention to visit presents itself as a challenge. Son Pekka has a particularly hard time: once a successful company boss, today he merely pretends to be so and currently sleeps in a house earmarked for destruction. Owing to a great deal of creativity he manages to conceal the truth, that is until he loses the roof over his head and optimism gives way to despair. Laughter and incredulous fright are never far apart in this tour de force from leading actor Hannu-Pekka Björkman, who explores every possible facet of impostor Pekka Malmikunas. In a narrative full of dark humour director Juha Lehtola tells of family ties and the fear of being perceived as a failure by the very people one has known the longest. RH