''A Summer by the River'' ( fi, Kuningasjätkä) 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'' &mda ...

. The film is set in the 1950s

Eastern Finland Eastern Finland ( fi, Itä-Suomen lääni, sv, Östra Finlands län) 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 Septemb ...

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 Haikonen, footballer *Pertti Hasanen, ice hockey goalkeeper *Pertti Honkanen, vo ...

) and son Topi ( Simo Kontio) 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. Histor ...

, sleeping on the river bank 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 Hels ...

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

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 * Simo Kontio — 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 Finland, 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 bee ...

— 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 Finehair in ''Vikings'' (2016–2020). Personal life Franzén was born in Keminmaa, north Finland. ...

— Kottarainen

References

External links

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

Cast and characters

See also

References

External links