Rauni Ikäheimo
Birthday: 1924-07-21 Place of Birth: Tainionkoski, Finland
Synopsis
Acting
The Harvest Month
The title of the Finnish film Elokuu translates to August. Directed by Matti Kassila, one of Finland's premiere filmmakers, Elokuu was adapted from a novel by Nobel prize winning finnish author F.E. Sillanpää. Simply put, the story concerns the decline and fall of a once-proud family, thanks to the alcoholism of its paterfamilias. Toivo Makela delivers a powerfully effective performance as the inebriated protagonist, avoiding the usual "drunken" cliches. The overlong running time, coupled with the downbeat nature of the subject, limited the film's worldwide appeal.
Tukkijoella
A 3rd remake of the film based on the play by Teuvo Pakkala. Tells the story of the lumberjack group and how the lives of villagers and lumberjacks intertwine. Many loving couples are formed between jacks and village girls. At the same time, the farm of Pietola and the house matron, Katri is coveted by malicious Rättäri. He owns the IOU papers for Pietola and tries to get Katri using the IOU as blackmail.