Helene

Finnish painter Helene Schjerfbeck (1862–1946) has lived with her mother in a village far from Helsinki since 1902. The nature lover and art dilettante Einar Reuter visits her there. Helene falls in love with the young admirer of her modernist paintings. They spend two years together, during which time Helene captures the fetching young man on canvas, and promotes his art. But one day she receives a letter from Einar that breaks her heart … Director Antti J. Jokinen uses the unhappy end of this love affair to paint a poignant study of Helene Schjerfbeck’s artistic oeuvre. His visual reference point for the film is the colour palette of her paintings and the narrative arc takes her artistic process at least as seriously as the love story. Laura Birn lends the protagonist a fascinating presence with her accessible portrayal of the artist. Hannu Liekso of Finland’s film magazine Episodi wrote in 2020, “An honourable mention also goes to cinematographer Rauno Ronkainen, whose images are like glorious paintings”.