25/03/2024 - While Aki Kaurismäki was overlooked at the 80th Finnish national film awards, one of his leads, Alma Pöysti, was rewarded for her turn in Four Little Adults

Actress Kati Outinen with her Concrete Jussi for Lifetime Achievement (© Lucas Ekblad/Filmiaura ry)

Nobody is a prophet in their own country, they say – particularly Aki Kaurismäki, whose latest film, Fallen Leaves [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], was completely ignored during the 80th-anniversary edition of the local Jussi Awards.

Fallen Leaves, one of the best-reviewed movies of last year, was shortlisted for an Academy Award, awarded the Jury Prize at Cannes, and nominated for the European Film Awards, the LUX Audience Award and a Golden Globe – with one of its leads, Alma Pöysti, scoring a Golden Globe nod as well. Ironically enough, Kaurismäki’s regular actress Kati Outinen – seen in Drifting Clouds and The Other Side of Hope [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Aki Kaurismäki
film profile] – received the Concrete Jussi for Lifetime Achievement this year.

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On a night of surprising results, Tia Kouvo’s directorial debut, Family Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tia Kouvo
film profile], was named Best Film instead. It was produced by Aamu Film Company, the company behind Compartment No. 6 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Juho Kuosmanen
film profile]. Pöysti still ended up winning, however, albeit for a different film: Selma Vilhunen’s Four Little Adults [+see also:
film review
interview: Selma Vilhunen
film profile], which previously earned her a trophy at Göteborg last year.

Sisu [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – a gleefully violent tale by Jalmari Helander about a legendary Finnish fighter forced back into action after encountering a Nazi death squad – ended up winning four Jussis. The first Audience’s Favourite Actress Jussi Award went to Linnea Leino for Toni Kurkimäki’s Lapua 1976, with the film also getting the so-called Feat of the Year gong.

Katja Gauriloff’s Je’vida [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and the documentary Homecoming [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Suvi West and Anssi Kömi were also noticed, as was Jari Virman for Teemu Nikki’s Death Is a Problem for the Living, in which he plays a man who finds out he doesn’t actually have a brain. He does have a friend, though – a gambling addict who turns him into a hearse driver for hire.

The first-ever Jussi Awards were given out in Helsinki on 16 November 1944.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Best Film
Family Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tia Kouvo
film profile] – Tia Kouvo (Finland/Sweden)

Best Director
Tia Kouvo – Family Time

Best Leading Role
Alma Pöysti – Four Little Adults [+see also:
film review
interview: Selma Vilhunen
film profile]

Best Supporting Role
Jari Virman – Death is a Problem for the Living (Finland/Italy)

Newcomer in Acting
Rebekka Baer – Light Light Light

Best Script
Tia Kouvo – Family Time

Best Cinematography
Kjell Lagerroos – Sisu [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best Music
Laura Naukkarinen – Je'vida [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best Sound Design
Jukka Nurmela, Timo Peltola – Je'vida

Best Editing
Juho Virolainen – Sisu

Best Set Design
Otso Linnalaakso – Sisu

Best Costume Design
Anu Pirilä – Je'vida

Best Make-up Design
Salla Yli-Luopa – Sisu

Best Documentary
Homecoming [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Suvi West, Anssi Kömi (Finland/Norway)

Best Short Film
How to Please - Elina Talvensaari

Audience Award
Lapua 1976 - Toni Kurkimäki

Audience’s Favourite in Acting
Linnea Leino – Lapua 1976

Feat of the Year
Toni Kurkimäki, Mikko Jokipii, Pekka Pohjoispää, Tuukka Haapamäki - Lapua 1976

Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award (Concrete Jussi)
Kati Outinen

Diploma for Visual Effects
Jussi Lehtiniemi, Antti Kulmala – Sisu

Nordisk Film Foundation Award
Suvi West, Anssi Kömi - Homecoming