The Eternal Road (film)

The Eternal Road (Finnish: Ikitie) is a 2017 drama film, based on a novel by Antti Tuuri, who also co-wrote the screenplay. The film was directed by Antti-Jussi Annila and starred Tommi Korpela, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Irina Björklund and Ville Virtanen.[1]

The Eternal Road
Film Poster
Directed byAntti-Jussi Annila
Produced byIlkka Matila
Written byAntti-Jussi Annila
Aku Louhimies (Screenlay)
Antti Tuuri (Novel and Screenlay)
Starring
Music byKalle Gustafsson Jerneholm[:sv]
Ian Person
CinematographyRauno Ronkainen
Edited byTambet Tasuja
Production
company
Matila Röhr Productions
Taska Film
Anagram
Film i Väst
Distributed byNordisk Film
Release date
  • August 22, 2017 (2017-08-22) (Finland)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryFinland
Estonia
Sweden
LanguageFinnish
English
Russian

The film was edited and shot in Estonia in lieu of locations in Karelia. This was also the last film Lembit Ulfsak acted in before his death on 22 March 2017.[2]

Plot

Jussi Ketola, a Finnish man, returns from America trying to escape from the Great Depression. He finds his country in great political turmoil. One night, Ketola is abducted from his home by nationalists and is forced to walk the Eternal Road towards Soviet Russia.

Cast

Reception

Jessica Kiang from Variety gave the film a bad review and writing: "It's hard to warm to Ketola as the kind of hero who could warrant such epic storytelling. Much is made, at the outset, of his overweening desire to get back to his Finnish family. But then he has his candles lit by Sara, and suddenly they're in church baptizing their newborn (the religiosity of the inhabitants, in vehemently secular communist Russia, is another tantalizing avenue barely explored). And a title tells us this is only 1932, and so Ketola appears to have pined for his Finnish wife and kids for mere months, before establishing a new family on the farm."[3]

The film was nominated in 13 categories at the 2018 Jussi Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (for Annila), Best Supporting Actress (for Sidse Babett Knudsen), Best Screenplay (for Annila, Louhimies and Tuuri), Best Actor (for Tommi Korpela) and Best Supporting Actor (for Hannu-Pekka Björkman).[4][5]

Accolades

The Eternal Road garnered thirteen nominations, which was the greatest amount for that year at Jussi Awards. Kalju Kivi is the first Estonian in the Jussi Awards history to have won.[6]

Year Award / Film Festival Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
2018 Jussi Awards Best Film Ilkka Matila Won [7]
Best Director Antti-Jussi Annila Won
Best Actor Tommi Korpela Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Hannu-Pekka Björkman Won
Best Supporting Actress Sidse Babett Knudsen Won
Best Script Antti Tuuri, Antti-Jussi Annila, Aku Louhimies Nominated
Best Cinematography Rauno Ronkainen Won
Best Editing Tambet Tasuja Nominated
Best Set Design Kalju Kivi Won
Best Costume Design Eugen Tamberg Nominated
Best Makeup Design Riikka Virtanen Nominated
Best Music Ian Person, Kalle Gustafsson Järneholm, Panu Aaltio, Tuomas Kantelinen Nominated
Best Sound Design Fredrik Dalenfjäll Nominated

References
  1. Rossing Jensen, Jorn. "Goteborg: 'The Eternal Road' With 'Westworld's' Sidse Babett Knudsen Unveiled at Nordic Film Market". Variety. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  2. "Galerii ja video: esilinastus Eesti, Soome ja Rootsi film "Igitee", kus tegi oma viimase rolli Lembit Ulfsak" [Gallery and video: The premiere of the Estonian, Finnish, and Swedish film "The Eternal Road", where Lembit Ulfsak made his last role]. Elu24 (in Estonian). Estonia: Postimees. 2017-11-26. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
  3. Kiang, Jessica. "Film Review: 'The Eternal Road'". Variety. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  4. "JUSSI-EHDOKKAAT VUODEN 2017 KOTIMAISISTA ELOKUVISTA ON VALITTU". jussigaala.squarespace.com. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  5. "Awards". IMDB. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  6. "Ikitie kahmi Jusseja – kohun keskelle joutunut Louhimies kävi pokkaamassa yleisösuosikin palkinnon" (Requires cookies and JavaScript, and maybe registration, too.) (in Finnish). Finland: Savon Sanomat. 2018-03-23. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
  7. "Ikitie: Awards". IMDb. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
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