''The Matriarch'' ( Finnish: ''Lieksa!'') is a

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

Finnish

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film written, directed and edited 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 ...

and produced by the Pölönen-owned film production company

Suomen Filmiteollisuus Suomen Filmiteollisuus (SF), lit. ''Finland's Film Industry'', is a Finland, Finnish film production company founded by Erkki Karu in 1933 after financial problems with Suomi-Filmi. The CEO, director, producer and writer Toivo Särkkä, T.J. Sär ...

Plot

Martta (Sanna-Kaisa Palo) and Otto (Heikki Kinnunen) are a pair of traveling tailors who claim to be bastard descendants of the

Romanovs The House of Romanov (also transliterated as Romanoff; , ) was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russia. Nic ...

and wander from town to town in Finland seeking work, accompanied by their two half-witted adult sons, Hippo (Tuomas Uusitalo), Repe (Tatu Siivonen) and equally silly son-in-law Ventti (Toni Wahlström). The family occasionally turns to crime when they can't quite make ends meet, and the boys begin turning to violence with greater frequency when Otto weakens and Martta becomes the head of the family business. Their fortunes take an unexpected turn when the brothers

assault In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or consent, unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may ...

and abduct a man they call Kasper (Samuli Vauramo), who becomes the family's sidekick in their travels. Despite Kasper's inability to speak, he attracts Martta's youngest daughter, an attractive young woman named Lara (Jenni Banerjee), but the family is in disarray when a long-lost half-brother, Laszlo (Peter Franzén), suddenly re-emerges and tries to wrest control of the clan away from his mother.

Cast

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 ...

- Laszlo * Sanna-Kaisa Palo - Martta * Samuli Vauramo - Kasper *

Jenni Banerjee Jenni Pauliina Banerjee (born 17 January 1981 in Ylöjärvi, Finland) is a Finnish actress with Indian ancestry. She has appeared in movies such as '' Pahat pojat'' (2003), ''Joensuun Elli'' (2004) and '' Lieksa!'' (2007). Her maternal grandfather ...

- Lara *

Heikki Kinnunen Heikki Kinnunen (born in Raahe) is a Finland, Finnish actor, who became well known in the beginning of the 1970s in the comedy program ''Ällitälli''. Kinnunen was known specially for his roles in comedy films and -series. He has played the lead ...

- Niccolo/Otto * Toni Wahlström - Ventti * Lotta Lehtikari - Veera *

Elina Knihtilä Mari Elina Knihtilä (born 6 June 1971) is a Finnish actress. Career Knihtilä has worked for several Finnish theatres, such as the Finnish National Theatre and Q-teatteri, while also having appeared in films and on television. She has received ...

- Roosa * Puntti Valtonen - Jori * Janne Reinikainen - Lutku *

Heikki Hela Heikki Hela (born 19 July 1964 in Aitolahti) is a Finnish entertainer, actor and musician, best remembered for his role in the early 1990s hit show ''Kummeli'' and his hit song " Uneton Yö", featured on his debut album, '' Kaikista Kaikkein''. ...

- Mojo

Soundtrack

The soundtrack includes the song " While Your Lips are Still Red" by

Tuomas Holopainen Tuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen (born 25 December 1976) is a Finnish musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the primary songwriter, keyboardist, and founding member of symphonic metal band Nightwish. He has stated that his son ...

and

Marko Hietala Marko Tapani "Marco" Hietala (born 14 January 1966) is a Finnish Heavy metal music, heavy metal vocalist, bassist and songwriter. Internationally, he is best known as the former bassist, male vocalist and secondary composer to Tuomas Holopainen, ...

External links

* Finnish comedy-drama films 2007 films Films directed by Markku Pölönen 2000s Finnish films {{2000s-Finland-film-stub