''The Matriarch'' (

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

: ''Lieksa!'') is a

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

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'' &mda ...

and produced by the Pölönen-owned film production company

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

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 transcribed Romanoff; rus, Романовы, Románovy, rɐˈmanəvɨ) was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after the Tsarina, Anastasia Romanova, was married to t ...

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 An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...

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

- Laszlo * Sanna-Kaisa Palo - Martta *

Samuli Vauramo Samuli Vauramo (born 22 October 1981) is a Finnish actor. Vauramo was born in Vantaa, Finland. Vauramo graduated from the Finnish Theatre Academy in 2005. After graduating he worked at the Theatre of Kotka, where he acted in Aleksis Kivi's famo ...

- 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 8 April 1946, in Raahe) is a 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 th ...

- 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''. S ...

- Mojo

Soundtrack

The soundtrack includes the song "

While Your Lips are Still Red "While Your Lips Are Still Red" is a 2007 song written by Tuomas Holopainen and Marko Hietala of the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was performed by Holopainen, Hietala, and Jukka Nevalainen for the Finnish film '' The Matriarch'', w ...

" by

Tuomas Holopainen Tuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen (born 25 December 1976) is a Finnish songwriter, record producer and musician, best known as one of the founders and the leader, keyboardist and songwriter of symphonic metal band Nightwish. He has stated that hi ...

and

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

External links

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