Friday, September 11, 2009

Postia pappi Jaakobille / Letters to Father Jacob



Post till pastor Jakob.
    FI 2009. PC: Kinotar / YLE. P: Lasse Saarinen, Risto Salomaa.
    D+SC: Klaus Härö – based on the original idea and script by Jaana Makkonen. DP: Tuomo Hutri. Digital intermediate by Generator Post. AD: Kaisa Mäkinen. COST: Sari Suominen. Makeup: Pia Mikkonen. ED: Samu Heikkilä.
    CAST: Kaarina Hazard (Leila), Heikki Nousiainen (Father Jacob), Jukka Keinonen (postman), Esko Roine (the prison warden).
    75 min.
    A Nordisk release without subtitles.
    Viewed at Tennispalatsi 10, Helsinki, 11 Sep 2009.

Jacob listens to classical music: "Quartet in F Minor", Composed by Joseph Haydn, Performed by Hart House String Quartet. – "Angel's serenade", Composed by Gaetano Braga, Performed by Venetian Instrumental Trio. – "Nocturne in E flat", Composed by Frédéric Chopin, Performed by Kathleen Parlow. – "Ouvre à l'amour", Performed by Pierre A. Asselin. – "Minuet in G, no. 2", Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, Performed by Kathleen Parlow. – "Barcarolle"
Composed by Jacques Offenbach.

Letters to Father Jacob, planned as a television movie, was released theatrically, and grew into the most highly appreciated Finnish film of the year.

I saw it five months after the premiere, and there was still a good turnout at the cinema. The atmosphere was focused and devoted.

The film is about the encounter of an asocial ex-convict, Leila (Kaarina Hazard), and the blind ex-priest Jacob (Heikki Nousiainen), who conducts an immense correspondence. Leila's job is to help Jacob.

The story is fresh and constantly surprising. Essential revelations take place at the end of the film.

This story of the priest can be compared with The Priest from Uddarbo (consult: Ingmar Bergman), Franciscus giullare di Dio, and Journal d'un curé de campagne, but it is totally original.

Letters to Father Jacob is one of the great religious films.

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