Best Finnish documentary movies

War and Peace of Mind (2016)

War and Peace of Mind explores what war does to the human mind and how both, the individuals and the nation as a whole, survive it psychologically. Finland and WWII, locally known as continuation war, is the backdrop of this documentary.

Hunt for U-479 (2009)

Two Finnish filmmakers and an international team of divers embark on a quest to find the lost WWII German U-boat, U-479, in the Gulf of Finland. Despite Soviet claims of its sinking by the submarine Lembit, unanswered questions prompted the filmmakers to investigate the mystery firsthand.

Tukdam – Between Worlds (2022)

Most of us think of death as something clear-cut, and that medical science has it neatly figured out. This feature documentary explodes such assumptions through its exploration of a phenomenon that blurs life and death to an unprecedented degree. In what Tibetan Buddhists call tukdam, advanced meditators die in a consciously controlled manner. Though dead according to our biomedical standards, they often stay sitting upright in meditation; remarkably, their bodies remain fresh and lifelike, without signs of decay for days, sometimes weeks after clinical death. Following ground-breaking scientific research into tukdam and taking us into intimate death stories of Tibetan meditators, the film juxtaposes scientific and Tibetan perspectives as it tries to unravel the mystery of tukdam.

Nightwish: Showtime, Storytime (2013)

Showtime, Storytime is a double Blu-ray, DVD and CD from Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Nuclear Blast recorded their live performance at the Wacken Open Air in Wacken, Germany on August 3, 2013. Showtime, Storytime is the first Nightwish production to feature Floor Jansen on vocals. 1. Dark Chest Of Wonders 2. Wish I Had An Angel 3. She Is My Sin 4. Ghost River 5. Ever Dream 6. Storytime 7. I Want My Tears Back 8. Nemo 9. Last Of The Wilds 10. Bless The Child 11. Romanticide 12. Amaranth 13. Ghost Love Score 14. Song Of Myself 15. Last Ride Of The Day 16. Outro: Imaginaerum

The Punk Syndrome (2012)

The Punk Syndrome is a film about Finland’s most kick-ass punk rock band, Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät. The band members, Pertti, Kari, Toni and Sami, are mentally handicapped and they play their music with a lot of attitude and pride. We follow these professional musicians on their journey from obscurity to popularity. We watch them fight, fall in love and experience strong emotions. We witness long days in the recording studio and on tour. They laugh, cry, drink and fight over who gets to sit in the front on the tour bus. Then it’s time to make up and go talk to people in the audience and tell them how great their band is.

Eurovision 2008: ATH - HEL - BEL (2008)

Behind the scenes documentary of the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest

Eppu Normaali: Klubiotteella (2009)

Nightwish: Please Learn the Setlist in 48 Hours (2013)

An intimate, two-hour documentary of Nightwish’s innermost-workings – included in their upcoming Showtime, Storytime DVD – is a story about what happens when persistence and desire pushes towards dreams. Directed by Ville Lipiäinen (30 Seconds To Mars, HIM) and shot with seventeen cameras at the Wacken Open Air Festival in front of 85,000 fans, the 110-minute live performance by Finland’s most beloved rockers Nightwish was the first of three final shows of the band’s 2013 “Imaginaerum World Tour” which consisted of 104 concerts in 34 countries and a total audience of over 1.5 million fans around the globe.

Michael Monroe -dokumenttielokuva (2023)

The documentary tells the story how Matti Fagerholm became Michael Monroe. It all began in the late 1970s with Hanoi Rocks, and over 40 years later, Michael Monroe, who still performs solo around the world, is a well known rock icon. The film features not only Monroe but also many international rock superstars and Monroe's mother. The movie covers Monroe's entire career, from tragic turning points to shining moments. In the documentary, Monroe openly talks about his journey towards his dream, the challenges in his career, and the setbacks he has experienced. He has given his all to the genre, never giving up or succumbing to difficulties and misfortunes.

Eput the Movie (2016)

The story behind Finland's rock giants and their songs, and their love for performing, even from childhood, and also the story of two very different brothers trying to fit in the same band.

Bluesia Pieksämäen asemalla (2013)

Juice Leskinen & Grand Slam live set recorded in 1988.

Noise of Finland (2011)

Noise of Finland is a documentary about the Finnish noise and power electronics scene. Loud distorted noise made with scrap metal and effect pedals are combined with extreme views and shocking visuals. The barriers of human limits and impossibility of commercial success are surpassed with limitless self expression. Movie includes the artists of the genre like Grunt, Bizarre Uproar, Manic/Depression, Sick Seed and Strom.EC

Mystical Lumberjack (2019)

Cosmic Cowboy is an uncensored self-portrait of Finnish country musician Pekka Myllykoski of the legendary Freud Marx Engels & Jung. This new documentary follows the dark downward spiral from mainstream success to his last drunken days. Cosmic Cowboy is a documentary film about friendship between two men and a chemical that binds them, fuels them and ultimately burns them down.

Tigerstedt's early film sound experiment (1914)

The inventor experimented with different sound film methods and apparently screened the world’s first usable sound films in Berlin in 1914 and Copenhagen in 1915. Some of these synchronized sound-on-film images survive.

Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words (2015)

A personal and captivating account of the extraordinary life and work of Ingrid Bergman (1915-82), a young Swedish woman who became one of the most celebrated actresses in world cinema.

The First 54 Years: An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation (2021)

An exhaustive explanation of how the military occupation of an invaded territory occurs and its consequences, using as a paradigmatic example the recent history of Israel and the Palestinian territories, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, from 1967, when the Six-Day War took place, to the present day; an account by filmmaker Avi Mograbi enriched by the testimonies of Israeli army veterans.

Finland from East to West (2017)

On December 6, 1917, Finland declared its independence from Russia. A detailed chronicle of the major events in the history of this young European nation.

The Day the Sun Fell (2015)

Tracing the past of her deceased grandfather who worked as a young doctor in the Red Cross hospital of HirSwiss-Japanese filmmaker Aya Domenig, the granddaughter of a doctor on duty during the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, approaches the experience of her deceased grandfather by tracing the lives of a doctor and of former nurses who once shared the same experience. While gathering the memories and present views of these last survivors, the nuclear disaster in Fukushima strikes and history seems to repeat itself.oshima after the atomic bomb was dropped over the city, the filmmaker encounters doctors and nurses who went through similar experiences to his at the time. Right up until his death in 1991, her grandfather was never able to speak about his experiences, but the formidable stories and openness of her protagonists bring her closer to his past.

Phantoms of the Sierra Madre (2024)

A Danish writer travels to Mexico with the purpose of locating a mysterious Apache tribe that fervently seeks to remain in obscurity.

The Hypnotist (2019)

In 1980, Finland’s most famous hypnotist Olavi Hakasalo, a.k.a Olliver Hawk, was put on trial. His mission in life had been to spread the gospel of the power of suggestion, and he was willing to risk everything to become a player of political influence on the big stage. But in the corridors of power, with a nation’s destiny at stake, an eccentric loudmouth sitting on too many secrets is considered a liability.

Tale of a Forest (2012)

A documentary that unveils the primeval forests of Northern Finland, some of Europe's sole remaining, old-growth forests. The main characters of the film are the various inhabitants of the forest: the bears and the elk, the snakes and the owls, the ants, the frogs and the flying squirrels, the ancient soul birds such as the Siberian Jay, the Lapland Owl and many, many others.

Tokyo Noise (2002)

Tokyo. A metropolis filled with sound, movement and culture. Through interviews with some of Tokyo's inhabitants, such as world-renowned photographer Nobuyoshi Araki, game designer Shono, musician Mayuko Hino and others.

Diving Into the Unknown (2016)

After a terrible accident deep inside an underwater cave, the survivors are forced to risk their own lives to bring the bodies of their friends home.

Hold Your Breath: The Ice Dive (2022)

Follow free diver Johanna Nordblad in this documentary as she attempts to break the world record for distance traveled under ice with one breath.

Reindeerspotting: Escape from Santaland (2010)

Reindeerspotting is a documentary film of a group of young guys living in Rovaniemi, Arctic Circle, dabbling in petty crime and hard drugs. One of them, Jani, has lost five years of his life and two fingers to his debotators. He wants to leave Lapland and his old life behind. Robbing a supermarket is a start for his getaway. A few years back a documentarist, Joonas Neuvonen, was a young men living on social welfare, using drugs on daily basis. He started to film his friends and their life. This is the story of Jani.

Steam of Life (2010)

Finnish men in sauna, speaking straight from the heart.

Lost Boys (2020)

Lost Boys tells the true, undisguised story of what happened ten years ago, after group of friends continued their eternal afterparty following the success of their movie premiere, Reindeerspotting: Escape From Santaland, which depicted group of drug users from Rovaniemi, Finland. The partying ends when friends of Joonas goes missing and Jani dies violently in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Joonas takes his camera and sets out to find out what happened to his friend. Was it all about drugs, women and money or do the traces lead somewhere deeper?

The Finnish Flash - A Teemu Selänne Story (2013)

Selänne is a documentary about Teemu Selänne—the best Finnish ice hockey player of all time. It's directed by JP Siili, whose previous films include such hits as Härmä and Ganes. We've followed the heroic tales of Selänne for over two decades. His exploits are famous, but now we get to know Selänne the man. In this documentary Teemu lets the viewer get close and under his skin. The film follows Selänne's journey from childhood to the latest NHL season. We see the life story of an exceptional athlete inside and out, not only through Teemu's words, but through the views of his loved ones and colleagues. Selänne is charismatic, social, irritating, charming, happy and always late. Welcome to the life of Teemu Selänne!

Helsinki, Forever (2008)

Helsinki, Forever is a montage film about the city of Helsinki by the award-winning Finnish film director and academic Peter von Bagh. The film draws a portrait of Helsinki and also acts as an essay on Finnish culture in a wider sense. It shows Helsinki as captured by leading Finnish feature film and documentary makers over a period of one hundred years.

Tale of a Lake (2016)

Tale of a Lake is a film about the thousands of lakes that Finland is known for. It takes the viewers on an unprecedented adventure, ranging from the crystal clear springs all the way to the basins of the big lakes. It opens a whole new world of underwater nature for the viewers, and tells about the many old tales and beliefs in the land of thousands of lakes. The story of the film is told through tales that are based around the myths, legends and old beliefs that are part of the Finnish mythology.