''A Summer by the River'' () is a 1998 Finnish film written and directed by

Markku Pölönen Markku Tapani Pölönen (born 16 September 1957 in Eno) is a Finnish film director, screenwriter, and editor; and the owner of film production company Suomen Filmiteollisuus. Pölönen's best known work is the 2004 film '' Dog Nail Clipper'' &md ...

. The film is set in the 1950s

Eastern Finland Eastern Finland (, ) was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2009. It bordered the provinces of Oulu, Western Finland and Southern Finland. It also bordered Russia to the east. History On September 1, 1997, the Mikkeli Province, the Kuopio Pr ...

and tells the story of father Tenho (

Pertti Koivula Pertti is a Finnish masculine given name.http://verkkopalvelu.vrk.fi/Nimipalvelu/default.asp?L=1 nimipalvelu Notable people * Pertti Ahlqvist, blues musician *Pertti Hasanen, ice hockey goalkeeper *Pertti Jalava, composer *Pertti Jantunen, footbal ...

) and son Topi (

Simo Kontio Simo or SIMO may refer to: People * Simo (given name), a given name * Simo (surname), a surname * Simone "Simo" Teti, of Paris & Simo * Simo (footballer) (Wassim Keddari Boulif), Spanish footballer nicknamed ''Simo'' Other uses * SIMO (band), a ...

) after Tenho's wife — Topi's mother — dies and leaves the two men unable to pay rent. The two men move out of the family home and spend the summer working as lumberjacks in

log driving Log driving is a means of moving logs (sawn tree trunks) from a forest to sawmills and pulp mills downstream using the current of a river. It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America. History ...

, sleeping on the riverbank and growing closer together through the experience. The film was a major success at the 1999

Jussi Award The Jussi Awards are Finland's premier film industry prizes, awarded annually to recognize the achievements of directors, actors, and writers. History The first Jussi Awards ceremony was held on 16 November 1944 at the Restaurant Adlon in Hel ...

s winning in five categories including Best Film, Best Actor and Best Direction. The film was selected as the Finnish entry for the

Best Foreign Language Film The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...

at the

71st Academy Awards The 71st Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best of 1998 in film and took place on March 21, 1999, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p. ...

but was not accepted as a nominee.Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Cast and characters

— Tenho *

— Topi *

Esko Nikkari Esko Nikkari (23 November 1938 – 17 December 2006) was a prolific Finnish actor who made more than 70 appearances on film and television. He was born in Lapua, and made his screen debut in 1974 in the movie ''Karvat''. Nikkari was a workhorse ...

— Hannes *

Anu Palevaara Anu Irmeli Palevaara (born 14 August 1971 in Helsinki) is a Finnish actress, choreographer and dancer. She is best known for her role as Jenni Vainio in the Finnish soap opera ''Salatut elämät'' which airs on MTV3. Palevaara has been with t ...

— Hilkka *

Peter Franzén Peter Vilhelm Franzén (born 14 August 1971) is a Finnish actor, author, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for his role as King Harald Fairhair in ''Vikings'' (2016–2020). Personal life Franzén grew up in Keminmaa, in Northern Fin ...

— Kottarainen

References

External links

* 1998 films Finnish comedy-drama films 1990s Finnish-language films Films directed by Markku Pölönen 1990s Finnish films Buena Vista International films {{Finland-film-stub

Cast and characters

See also

References

External links