Milka: A Film About Taboos

1980 1h 50m FI

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 14

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Based on a novel by the late Finnish writer Timo Mukka, this simple story focuses on what happens when Milka (Irma Huntus), a girl barely out of childhood, gets pregnant by Ojanen (Matti Turunen) a rustic fieldhand. Her own mother had been hoping to marry Ojanen, and her daughter's pregnancy turns their lives around. Set in the Lapp country of northern Finland, the scenery is breathtaking, made even more so by the isolation of the region. A sense of natural solitude is underscored by a slow-moving dialogue interspersed with long silences, and the connection between nature and the dialogue is underscored as the young Milka recites poetry while out in the countryside. The fate of Milka and her mother, however, is connected to the decision that Ojanen makes at the end.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Irma Huntus
Milka Sierkkiniemi
Leena Suomu
Anna Sierkkiniemi
Matti Turunen
Ojanen
Eikka Lehtonen
Malmström
Esa Niemelä
Auno
Hellin Auvinen-Salmi
Villager
Voitto Harju
Villager
Sonja Joensuu
Young Milka

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Rauni Mollberg
Writers: Rauni Mollberg, Jussi Niilekselä, Seppo Heinonen
Languages: Finnish
Countries: Finland

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

46 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Rauni Mollberg, shot by Esa Vuorinen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Kari Rydman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tuula Mehtonen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Irma Huntus and Leena Suomu and Matti Turunen carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0081160 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 14 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Rauni Mollberg directs. Esa Vuorinen behind the camera. Kari Rydman scores. Tuula Mehtonen cuts. Produced in Finland. Dialogue in Finnish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

146 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Rauni Mollberg, shot by Esa Vuorinen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Kari Rydman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Tuula Mehtonen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Irma Huntus and Leena Suomu and Matti Turunen carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0081160 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 14 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.