Palvelus

One of the joys of watching world films is getting a glimpse of the land and culture I'm not familiar with.

Admittedly I have no deep understanding of Finland apart from the the vague idea as a part of Scandinavia and some films of Kaurismaki.

In this short, subdued, yet deeply poignant film, I got to learn how the memory of bloody fight for their independence and identity is still alive in their memory, and how that keeps the patriarchal social value relevant. What does a son who struggles to fit that social value do to win back a bit of respect from his aging and ailing father?

We see once again the high art of unspoken words in Finish film making - if in the manner of realism in this case as opposed to Kaurismaki's more fable-like minimalism.