The Finnish film industry has seen periods of considerable success and periods where it’s been totally ignored by the outside world. Finnish cinema was dominated in the 20th century by two studios, Suomi-Filmi and SF Studios, and their films largely focused on national romantic films that portrayed Finnish nature, folklore, and rural life.

In the post-war period, some directors started to challenge the status quo with occasional films and the odd international success like The White Reindeer (1952). However, Finnish cinema really changed in the 1980s with the emergence of Mika and Aki Kaurismäki. It is Aki who is the most famous of the brothers, but they share a style, and that style has become the international view of what Finnish cinema is: Deadpan humour, melancholic, poetic. Aki’s films have made him one of the most celebrated directors of all time and helped bring international attention to Finnish films that modern directors are reaping.