Yö armahtaa (2020) - full transcript
During the COVID lockdown, three Finnish men get together in an otherwise empty bar, talk, and sample what is in some special bottles.
Hi, Victoria.
Okay.
Calm down.
Stay inside, you and Terhi.
If he comes, don't let him in.
I'll be there as soon as I can.
GRACIOUS NIGHT
Attention all passengers.
Due to the coronavirus epidemic,
we ask that you practice
good hand hygiene...
- Hi.
- Hi.
Groceries again.
Call me when you need more.
- Happy May Day.
- You too.
Earlier this year
we couldn't foresee
the crisis would be
this deep and serious.
Even though Finland is
better prepared for crises
than many other countries,
the epidemic
and its social and financial effects
caught us by surprise.
That was Prime Minister Sanna Marin
at the press conference yesterday.
The man who was assaulted
in Myyrmäki, Vantaa, this morning
died in hospital due to the wounds.
The police are asking people
to come forward with information.
The motive for the violent attack
remains unknown at this time.
If you carry your fate
without blaming others
If you're willing to hear
the truth that hurts
If you speak your truth
even when others mock you
And if you're knocked down,
you get back up
If you see beauty
If you carry hope in your heart,
and love
If you can bear this
when the shadows grow longer
and the night comes
Because the night will come
Its black hand will grab you
and won't let go
You ask yourself,
"Was I ever anybody?"
When others stay
and won't join you
Maybe you smile because you know
Even though you only gave me
great sorrow, I can take it
What I'm feeling
I don't let others see
Can a man let others see
the burden of his sorrow?
No, because I might end up alone
My heart cries, but
I silence its voice
My aching heart is a secret
Only a secret
All my dreams fade away
one by one
- Yes?
- Hi, Heikki.
- Goddammit, it's you.
- Open the door.
I saw you had the lights on,
so I thought I'd dare to ask.
Well, we're closed. You know that.
Everyone's closed.
- Heikki.
- I can't sell you anything.
I have a good reason.
I'm sure
you can pour me one glass.
Sell me one glass.
- It's on me.
- Thank you.
- There's no one around, right?
- No.
C'mon on in.
A man was killed today.
The police are looking
for the perpetrator.
That's why I'm a bit jumpy.
It was on the radio.
Do you want good red wine
or very good red wine?
Two choices.
I want the best.
I almost knew it.
You came at the right time.
I just opened a bottle.
Oh, I didn't notice
you'd set a table and all.
- You're waiting for someone.
- No, I'm not waiting for anyone.
I thought my daughter might drop by.
But you never know with her.
Sometimes she comes;
sometimes she doesn't.
I won't be long, so...
Well, we have time to enjoy this.
You shouldn't drink this too fast.
- Here you go.
- Thank you.
- Happy May Day.
- Heikki, happy May Day.
Good wine.
I was here alone.
The table with the candles might look
like I was ready for a big party.
I was waiting for my daughter,
but she didn't come.
I was sitting here alone
and I thought,
"Dammit, it's as if I'm in a church."
A high, black vaulted ceiling.
Burning candles.
I felt like I was sanctifying
this emptiness
and silence and desolation.
How are you going to make it?
A week ago
I thought I was in deep shit.
Today I thought, "What the hell."
Here I am, stuck.
I'm not the only one who's stuck.
We'll see what happens.
It would be a pity
if you had to close this down
just when we got a bar
in the neighborhood.
There was nothing
before you opened this.
So, you've been busy.
Yeah.
- You're working with the virus patients?
- Yeah.
- I thought so.
- But...
But I couldn't leave
my regular patients.
- Yeah.
- They've been under my care for months.
I can't leave them. So...
Yes, it's interesting
how there are suddenly
so few of us.
Yes. There's no one here, for example.
Except us.
Not long ago, there were people.
When I left work today,
I got a message.
One of my patients died.
A 14-year-old girl.
A damn funny girl.
Vital and energetic.
And...
I tried to get her to Oslo,
to the research institute.
That was our last hope.
Maybe they could've saved her, but...
How she used to joke
about herself and me.
At the end of every appointment,
she'd tell me, "You suck."
"You actually suck."
She was a lovely girl.
She wrote me a letter.
A 14-year-old girl.
Putting bread on the table
doesn't come easy to you.
Well, yeah.
I always wondered...
You often hear people say
you can't let things get
under your skin.
- Well, yeah.
- You have to keep your distance.
But how? I couldn't.
Usually I can, but of course
sometimes you have...
- The older I get,the weaker my shield is.
- Right.
Maybe I'm becoming brittle.
I don't know.
This... This one hurt.
I don't know...
I don't know her
except for what you just told me,
but she seems like a great girl.
The world is brittle
in so many spots
that you see all the time
where it was hit.
- Yeah...
- Does that work?
Yes, it does.
And it's full of good music.
I see. I can't believe this.
- What do I need...
- A coin.
A one-euro coin.
I have a shopping cart token.
- Will it work?
- Go ahead.
- I'll see if it works.
- Don't tell anyone if it does.
4J.
Do I push the number and
the letter at the same time?
It doesn't matter.
4... J...
- What did you pick? Let me see.
- That one.
Not bad.
Not bad.
I'll clean up a bit.
The light and delicate embrace
of another
Like the touch of the wind
A light and delicate hold
That's all
Futile intelligence will eat you
like a rat
How can everything be finished
when nothing has been done?
You're not gonna fall asleep there,
are you?
I should close the place.
No.
You know,
when I left work, I decided
that I won't go home
before I've decided
whether I'm going to stay there
or leave.
Isn't your wife expecting you home?
She's home, but I don't know
if she's expecting me.
I guess she is.
Men usually go home
at some point.
I don't know.
It seems your life is a bit of a mess.
Yeah.
I don't know if this'll comfort you,
but you're not the first or
the last man whose life is.
It's as if...
I'm living someone else's life.
- What?
- I'm living someone else's life.
Where can I put this?
I'm living somebody else's life.
Then you have to stop doing that
and start living your real life.
- That was a stupid...
- No, that's great advice.
That's fantastic advice.
"Start living your real life."
- What else can you do?
- Well, yeah.
- Feel sorry for yourself?
- Heikki, I don't...
It's not my intention
to offer solutions.
- I wouldn't even be capable of it.
- Yeah.
What about your daughter?
Do you think she might still show up?
No. She would've shown up by now.
She's not coming.
It's so late. She's not coming.
It's better that way.
She's home safe.
She'll be fine.
I brought her food today.
She...
She's having some problems
of her own.
It would've been nice
if she had come, though.
I haven't talked to my son Alvar
in two years.
Okay.
Before that, we used to send e-mails,
mostly about work.
We had a good collegial relationship,
but then it somehow withered.
- Is he also a doctor?
- No, he's a researcher in Basel.
- My daughter still lives at home. Elli.
- Yeah.
Are you sure that being tired
is the reason
your home life seems so bleak?
The worst thing is
that it's not bleak.
It's completely colorless.
I don't feel anything.
- Do you understand?
- Yeah. Okay.
Of course I understand.
- I don't know what to say.
- You don't have to say anything.
- You probably don't expect me to.
- I don't. And...
But I can tell you
that I've heard hundreds of stories
like yours working behind the counter.
So you're not alone.
But I don't want to downplay
you feeling like your home life
doesn't have a future.
- Do you have any wine left?
- Yes, I do.
- Uh. How about we have...
- Okay.
- Good evening.
- We're closed.
Just when I thought
I finally found a place that was open.
All bars are closed.
I know,
but I saw people and lights here.
We're cleaning up, ready to go home.
We're closing.
- Can I charge my phone while you do that?
- No.
You can charge your phone
somewhere else. Not here.
- There are no places to charge it.
- Of course there are.
You can go to a gas station
or to a friend's house.
I dropped my keys
down the elevator shaft.
Your keys aren't
here, that's for sure.
The maintenance company
won't answer at this hour.
- That's not my problem.
- I know.
I can't sell anything.
I can't let customers in.
I forgot to lock the door.
Happy May Day!
My daughter's giving birth
any minute now.
I have to charge my phone so
I can get hold of her.
- Are you telling the truth?
- Of course I am.
That's an unbelievable story.
That's life. Children are born.
This will be my first grandchild.
Five minutes so I can...
Okay. Five minutes
so you can charge your phone.
Then you can call her. Follow me.
Thanks so much.
It's really important to me.
- I'll put my phone here.
- Yeah.
- I'll wait here.
- Yeah.
Five minutes
till my phone's got some power.
Then I'll vanish.
Take it to him.
- Happy May Day.
- Happy May Day.
My name is Jussi. Or Juhani.
But everybody calls me Jussi.
Hi. I'm Heikki.
I'm Risto.
I think your daughter will be
just fine on her own.
It's this crisis.
I can't go see her at hospital.
Does she have a doula?
- A what?
- A doula. A birth assistant.
No. She can't have anybody there
because of the crisis.
Birth assistants coach
expectant mothers.
- They can do it online.
- No. No, she doesn't have one.
I think
that of all people in the world,
you're the last one she needs there.
Yeah. This is just so special.
This will be my first grandchild.
- Do you have grandchildren?
- No, I don't.
No, I don't have grandchildren.
- But you have kids?
- Yes, one.
I have two.
May Day balloons.
A man gave it to me on the street.
I thought
he was going to hit me with it,
but he just wished me
a happy May Day.
- So, Risto, you work here too?
- No, I'm a doctor.
- A doctor?
- Yeah.
Really?
Okay.
I'm a civil servant.
Social services.
It's a really boring job.
It's not a very sexy profession.
Well, you define what it's like.
I'm the district manager
of western Vantaa.
You know, neighborhoods
like Martsu and Myrtsi.
That area.
The Myrtsi train station
smells like piss,
and drugs addicts shoot up there.
The shopping center at Martsu
is full of drunks.
That's my job.
Every time I start talking
about my job,
people look down
and they start looking
for something else to do.
They think it's boring.
What makes your job so boring?
Social policy as a topic is boring.
If you tell people you're a doctor,
they'll be interested.
If you tell them
you're in a managerial position
in social services,
they definitely don't find it sexy.
I disagree.
In times like these,
jobs like yours are needed.
- I'm glad you think so.
- I do.
But I don't want to talk
about work anymore.
If I had cigars, I'd offer you.
Even though
it's usually the baby's father
who offers them to his friends.
But I'd like to have a cigar anyway.
Sorry, I have to...
It totally sucks...
I love being able to say
something sucks.
Dismantling the welfare state sucks.
I could never say it at work.
But it sucks that after the recession
in the 90's,
the purchasing power
of people's basic income
has fallen 40 percent
in relation to the salaries.
That really sucks.
We're abandoning
a large part of our people,
probably 10 percent.
Every government has done it.
When I started working
in social services,
I believed that our society
would accept underprivileged people
and help them.
Now we're just fighting fires
without extinguishers.
We can see that in our work,
you and me.
We're in a similar situation.
You have your work,
and it's just as important.
Well, a nice way to put it is
to say I'm a kitchen psychologist.
- Well...
- Sorry, you can't smoke inside.
- Okay.
- It's...
- Can I have one?
- They're not mine; ask Risto.
- Smoke outside.
- Yes.
Yeah, colleague.
- He's a talkative guy.
- Yeah.
Well, yeah.
- Did your wife call?
- No.
My daughter called
and complained a bit.
I think her mother had said
something to her.
I had a discussion with her
and told her I preferred to discuss
these things with her mother.
- Right.
- And not through her.
How old is she?
She'll graduate from
high school next spring.
- Right. She's still home.
- Yeah.
- She's a lovely girl.
- Yeah.
- I can't say no.
- I'm starting to enjoy myself.
- Unfortunately.
- Despite the chatterbox showing up.
Well, yeah, but he's all right.
Once the phone is charged a bit more,
we'll get rid of him.
This is balm for my soul.
How can it be such good balm?
It's a question of choosing
your profession.
I'm starting to feel a bit better.
- Good. That's the intention.
- Yeah.
Yeah. All right, she's calling.
Should we...
- Should I answer?
- Yeah.
We don't want to miss this.
Yes...
I have to say I'm not...
I'm not Jussi.
Jussi is here.
He's outside at the moment.
I can go get him.
- I just happened to answer his phone.
I'll give him your message.
Yeah.
Yeah. I can't help you.
No. He'll call you back soon.
You can sort it out with him.
Yeah. Good.
Yes, soon. Calm down. Calm down.
Yeah. Good. Bye.
- Problems with the birth?
- Fucking fucking fuck.
There's no baby.
He's the man the
police are looking for.
He killed a man.
The woman who called
wanted to warn him.
She thought I was him.
He killed a man.
- We have to call the police.
- He might have a gun.
If he finds out we called the police,
we'll be in trouble.
- Is he coming?
- Maybe he left?
- His phone is here.
- Oh, that's right.
Just what I need today.
Is he coming? All right.
So you had your smoke.
- I'm sorry, I took a cigarillo from you.
- That's okay.
I don't smoke normally.
But somehow now...
Do you want another glass
while you wait?
If it's no trouble.
The house is in a generous mood.
Uh... Is anybody hungry?
Risto is hungry. Are you hungry?
I'll make sandwiches.
Come get your wine.
Take your wine.
Drink your wine. Risto, come help me
with the sandwiches.
We'll make a couple of them.
- If it's no trouble.
- Not at all.
Damned jerry can.
This is messed up.
- Call the police.
- I don't have my phone with me.
- It's on the counter.
- Goddammit.
- Why don't you call them.
- My phone's in my jacket pocket.
Let's make the sandwiches.
- What are we going to do?
- How about we do nothing?
- Shouldn't we get rid of him?
- No.
You see,
what do you have in your hands here?
You have a killer.
- You understand?
- Yes, and I'm trying to get rid of him.
I'll go get plates.
How many times have you had a killer
in your restaurant?
Never.
How about we play with him?
Find out what he's like.
You understand?
All right.
Here's a little something to eat.
You answered my phone.
I had to.
You said your daughter might call.
You killed someone.
What do you mean, "killed"?
He didn't die.
- He did.
- He died.
He's dead.
That's why the woman called.
He tried to warn you he's dead
and the police are after you.
What do we do now?
How about you call the police
and ask them to come here?
Hey, don't. Hey, don't.
I'm no murderer.
- It was an accident.
- Yeah, good.
Call the police
and sort it out right away.
That's the only thing you can do.
I'll tell you what happened.
It was an accident.
It might've been an accident
or intentional.
There's no way we can know.
And we're not judges.
I just want to tell what happened.
I think the police would be
a better listener in this case.
It's not that simple.
Life is not black-and-white.
Let me tell you.
Okay, but after that
you have to make a decision.
I promise.
I've always told my subordinates
and even
our social services customers
about the concept of liberty.
There's negative liberty,
having freedom from something.
And then there's positive liberty,
having freedom to do something.
As you know, most people think,
"When I'm free of this, I'll do that."
"When it's the weekend
or when I get rid of someone."
I never thought
I was one of those people.
I thought I had freedom to do things.
I got divorced two years ago.
When I divorced my wife Anneli
and freed myself of that empty,
belittling relationship,
I had nothing to replace it with.
For a couple of weeks,
I listened to Thelonious Monk
and drank red wine.
Then I realized my life was
a complete vacuum.
That's when Victoria
stepped into my life.
Or she came into my life.
And Terhi, her daughter.
Victoria moved to Finland
from Chile to study pharmacology.
She met Jarkko,
a young ophthalmologist
who was very successful and popular.
She fell in love and married him.
Terhi was born.
I guess their life was happy.
For some time,
they lived in an upscale neighborhood.
But then Jarkko turned out
to be a narcissist.
A sadist.
He'd beat Victoria,
manipulate her, abuse her.
- Did you report it?
- I didn't know her yet at that time.
If you knew about it,
why didn't you report it?
I found out only later.
They divorced,
and Victoria and Terhi moved
to Myrtsi, which is in my sector.
They became my clients.
That's when I found out
he was abusing her.
She was mentally very unstable.
Terhi was also showing symptoms.
How long were they married?
- A little over a year.
- Okay.
So their daughter was really young.
Barely a toddler.
Terhi is six now.
He continued beating her
after the divorce.
He would come to her place
whenever he wanted.
I told Victoria to report him
to the police.
I told her it wasn't that difficult
and that I'd help her with everything.
But she would say, "No, no.
I'm sure it was my fault."
"I provoked him."
She took the blame.
Victoria became an obsession with me.
A weak, helpless woman with a child.
And the absolute
Satan himself, Jarkko.
That damn narcissist.
She became an obsession, I admit it.
I did realize it.
I guess I fell in love with her.
She was the complete package.
My marriage was childless.
I don't have a daughter.
I'm sorry I lied about that.
I don't have a daughter
that's giving birth at the moment.
I always wanted a daughter,
in particular.
I just want to say one thing now.
Whoever
witnesses a situation like that
must do everything to stop it.
What can you do?
You can't do anything.
But I did cross
my professional boundaries.
I crossed a boundary I shouldn't cross
in my position.
I'll just say, "Go ahead."
"Go and break those boundaries."
I did it. I did it.
I called Jarkko.
I told him that if he didn't stop,
that I'd make him stop.
I'd report him to the police.
And?
I even went to his work
the eye hospital.
The guards kicked me out, of course.
It was starting to become...
I don't know.
An obsession.
I guess that's what it's called.
This morning my phone rang.
I was on my morning run.
It was 10:37.
The phone rang. It was Victoria.
She was in a panic.
She said,
"Jussi, I don't know what to do."
"Jarkko's on his way here,
and I'm scared."
"What should I do? Help me, Jussi.
Help me, Jussi."
What happened?
I told her to stay inside with Terhi
and not let him in.
I said, "If he comes,
don't let him in."
"I'll be there as soon as I can."
I ran like crazy to her house.
I stood at the entrance.
Jarkko's BMW pulls up.
And then you beat him up and..?
I stood at the entrance.
He got out of the car
and slammed the door.
He looked at me with contempt.
Challenging me.
I said, "You're not walking
through this door."
I won't let this continue.
It stops now.
He said, "Go ahead, try to stop me,
you piece of shit."
He pushed me, and
I fell to the ground.
I got up and grabbed his shoulders
and said,
"This stops now.
Jarkko, it stops now."
He hit me; I fell to the ground.
He beat and kicked me.
He's a damn strong guy.
A fighter.
I tried to protect myself.
My balls and my face.
I lay there like a sack.
One of my customers once told me
that if you're being beaten up,
just lie there like a sack.
Just try to protect
your face and balls.
I thought, "Please make this stop."
At some point I
couldn't feel anything.
I imagined Victoria being in my place.
Her being beaten and kicked.
Terhi sitting in the corner, crying.
I don't know where I got
this surge of strength from,
but I got up and grabbed him
by his collar and pushed him down.
There was a toy truck on the ground,
and he tripped over it.
He hit his head
on a granite paving stone.
He was lying there, and I thought...
I don't know what I thought.
I looked at him a moment.
I heard Ultra Bra's song
"I'll Protect You from Everything"
being played somewhere.
I checked if anyone saw me.
I don't know
why I thought no one saw me.
Only a street sweeper drove by.
I started running. I
ran and ran, home.
I went home and changed clothes.
I walked around the city.
I was wondering what I should do.
Should I go somewhere...
I should've called the police
right away.
I should've called an ambulance.
But I acted like a child.
In that situation I was like a child
who got caught
doing something naughty.
Can you understand this at all?
But I saved two people.
Jarkko was a bad person.
Okay, I know human life is sacred.
No one has the right to interfere
in another person's life.
If there's a God,
he has the right to interfere,
but people don't.
Human life is sacred.
What would you have done in my place?
The point is this:
I agree with you completely.
You saved those people.
I would've done the same.
I would've done the same thing.
I would've done everything I could...
The person I am today would've done
everything to save the people I love.
Even if you had to kill someone?
- Of course I don't want to kill anyone.
- I didn't want to kill him.
I'm telling you,
I would've done the same thing.
But as you know,
after what happened,
of course you'll end up behind bars.
It was no less than
negligent homicide.
I don't know the law,
but it was no less than that.
What's interesting is
that when you walked in,
you looked like a savior.
But did you feel pleasure
at the moment when you pushed him?
No...
- I think this is an interesting question.
You know...
Like you said, you saved them.
Why did you ask about pleasure?
If it's about ethos,
if you want to be a hero,
you do a hero's job.
The only thing that went wrong
was not calling
the police or an ambulance.
- Would you have called them?
- You bet.
I think I would've too,
but I think
it would be interesting to know
whether you see yourself
as an avenger or a savior.
That's why I asked if you enjoyed it.
- Do you understand what I mean?
- Yes, I do.
But I don't think I enjoyed it
at the moment.
But before that, I was a hero.
I saw myself as a hero.
I'll rephrase the question.
I'm sure you've relived the situation
a million times
and thought about what you would do
if you met him.
You wanted to strangle him, right?
- Probably.
- That's what I mean.
But if I tell that to the police...
You talked
about freedom from something
and freedom to do things.
Avenger or savior?
You understand?
You're at a threshold.
You can define whether you want
to have freedom to do things.
Are you a savior or avenger?
In a way, you're building a theory
about how people do good deeds.
And a theory about whether it
gives you pleasure beforehand.
Has the heroic ethos been constructed
beforehand?
I interpret the act as an act of love.
You tried to show your love
to this woman, Victoria,
and her daughter.
In this society, how... I mean,I
have to take responsibility for this.
If I told the police
what kind of monster
I created of Jarkko in my mind,
I would be convicted of murder.
The police would think I planned it.
I guess it's a question
of whether you know
you did the right thing
and whether you assume
all responsibility for it.
I agree.
I have this scary thought
that this is the catastrophe
towards which I've been drifting
all these years.
That somewhere
in my deep consciousness
I realized that this is the catastrophe
towards which I was drifting.
As if there was this force inside me.
To me, that sounds
like mystification of the situation.
To me too.
That's something
you should talk about.
It was a concrete thing.
You pushed him and he fell.
It was practically an accident.
If you say that was your fate...
During the war, young officers
mystified and sought death.
If you, through a mystical experience,
actively seek
something where your feeling
of being alive becomes real,
of course you'll start to move
in that direction
and do something like that.
- Do you understand?
- I understand.
I think you should dissect
your sense of life.
I'm so damn happy
I get to share this with you.
I'm so damn happy.
I need time to understand everything.
I needed to pour my heart out
to somebody.
Hey.
- My new friends.
- Erm...
Erm, I was going
to bring up drinking again.
- Shall we open another bottle?
- Absolutely.
- I'm all for that.
- Good.
I'll go find some wine.
Put some music on.
Hey, hey, hey.
Closed! Closed! We're closed!
You can't come in.
Out, out, out, out.
Don't go to the counter.
- This bar is closed.
- There are other people.
I can't sell you beer.
It's an authority regulation.
Why are there others?
They're my friends.
Don't worry about them.
We can be your friends, too.
No service. Thank you. Leave.
- Beer! Beer!
- I can't sell you beer now.
- Well, give us beer then!
- Give you beer?
- Free beer! Free beer!
- No frigging way.What a great idea.
Okay. Hey. I'll give you
a bottle of Corona each.
They won't cost you anything,
but they're not free.
What does that mean?
You have to sing something
to the gentlemen over there.
Life has dealt them a few blows
recently. A song that suits May Day.
- Can we sing "On a Rocky..."?
- Yes.
On a rocky hill
is where I'll build my cottage
Come, come, girl
and share it with me
If I can't have a corona
I will move far from here
To a foreign country
so that I don't have to see you there
One more. Thank you!
Thank you!
To a rocky hill...
Bye. Have a nice journey!
Come, come, girl
and share it with me
All right.
We managed to get rid of them.
Sometimes I ask myself
why the hell I run a bar like this.
I can't get rich doing this.
I'm always working.
But then people like those young ones
show up,
and it's as if energy fills the house.
That's what this place was built for.
Isn't it comforting to know
that even though they know
that the place is closed
and nobody can enter,
they barge in.
- Isn't that a pretty good sign?
- Of course it feels good.
It does feel good,
even though
I'm afraid of the authorities.
But this isn't an underground bar.
This is an open bar.
A good old bar.
I have to tell you something.
My grandpa
was from Ladoga, Karelia,
close to Petrozavodsk.
Aminoff was his last name.
When he was little,
the family was quite wealthy.
His father was
from a family of tradesmen.
Mom came from a wealthy family.
Well, things didn't go very well
for them in Stalin's Soviet Union.
His father was killed,
and Mother went to prison.
Grandpa had a dream, a premonition.
He was a shaman type of man.
He had a dream, a premonition:
He'd have to leave.
Dogs are chasing him.
And his last years, he'll spend in
an apartment with a view of the sea.
He fled, crossed the border,
chased by dogs
traveled around Finland.
He ended up in Helsinki.
He had nothing. No money.
Only one set of clothes.
Didn't know anybody.
He had nothing when he came here.
It wasn't easy coming to Finland
back then if you were Russian.
That was before the Second World War.
After a string of jobs,
he ended up here.
He went to work in the workshops.
He was here for several years.
He built locomotives
and did maintenance on them.
Found himself a woman, Helvi.
Got married
and slowly saved money.
Then he decided to open a bar.
He had damn good stories.
He was
a real Russian traveling salesman.
He had really good stories.
He got along with people.
Everybody liked him.
People would say,
"Heikki's here again."
I was named after him.
He opened a bar. It was close by,
on Aleksis Kiven katu Street.
It was a small bar, but it went well.
There were a lot of regulars,
and Grandpa looked after them.
Time passed,
and Grandpa got tired and sick,
and my dad ran it for some time.
But Dad didn't really know
how to run a bar.
He liked being
on the wrong side of the counter.
Then I ended up running it. I was 22.
I knew nothing about running a bar,
especially the business end.
But I had a hell of a lot of fun.
Grandpa's old friends were there,
and I became their friend
because they'd seen me there before.
My life path resembled my grandpa's.
I found a woman. We had good times.
We had a daughter.
Well, then my wife died.
That happened a long time ago already.
It was me and my daughter.
The situation with the bar was shaky.
This area was getting quieter.
The neighborhood next to it
was lively,
but this neighborhood was quiet.
Well, then they started
building the new apartment buildings.
Things started getting better again.
I decided that I'd make a bold move
when I found this place.
I took out a hell of a loan.
I decided to create a bar
exactly the way I liked it.
It sounds a bit corny,
or melodramatic,
but in a way, I created this
for my grandpa.
He liked being with people.
He liked playing billiards;
that's why I got the tables.
I opened this in the fall.
Then the crisis came,
and all bars had to close.
- It's over now.
- Why do you say that?
Because I have to keep it closed.
You can't close it down.
This isn't only your story;
it's also your grandpa's story.
- This is a story of generations.
- Well, it's a bit like...
- It's a story of all of us...
- It's my identity.
It's also melodramatic to say,
but this is my identity.
My identity comes
from beyond three generations.
You can't close it down.
My opinion on closing it down
doesn't matter.
When there's no money,
there's no bar.
And the truth is,
soon there will be no money.
I can't even say it looks bad.
It looks damn hopeless.
But I've decided that nobody gets it
if I can't keep it.
This is my bar. This is my identity.
When I go, it goes.
I don't know
if I'm the right person to say this,
but that's too final.
There's something else going on here.
I talked about my fate.
This place is your fate.
When it's your fate,
it's no longer a question of money.
- Yes, but you see...
- It's a bigger question.
We're talking about something that...
Nobody leaves this world
with their money.
They don't; that's true.
That's what I mean. That's the thing.
That's the scale
on which you have to think.
You said your fate was to meet
that violent man.
And your fate was to say your
final goodbyes to the 14-year-old.
My fate is to say my final goodbyes
to this bar.
I have a canister of gasoline
in the back.
This bar will burn tonight.
Heikki, you still have a chance.
You have a chance to put an end
to your catastrophe.
I think we should burn it down now.
Yeah. Bang and burn! Yeah, fuck.
Before that, we'll empty
the row of bottles.
Give me matches. You have matches.
- I have matches.
- Give them to me.
- So it begins.
- Here we go.
To my grandpa's memory.
- Aminoff.
- Yeah.
The name was later translated
into Finnish: Amikainen.
Thanks for the matches.
The only conflict is:
what else would I do for a living?
Yeah.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
I can go to prison and work
in the kitchen, make pea soup.
- For me.
- Yeah.
We'll start a book club, goddammit.
- An arsonist and a killer.
- Yeah.
- A healer.
- That's right.
I'm sure this'll be closed down
one day.
You're such a good man
that you won't...
It's useless to imagine things,
to go into such darkness.
There are always solutions.
You know that.
Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Since you're a bit older than me,
could you tell me
what it means when you stop
dreaming in a relationship.
You came here
to find an answer to that?
That's an excellent question.
An excellent question indeed.
Was that dart directed at me?
Yeah, you should probably think
about whether it was a dart,
an aphorism,
wordplay or a May Day prank.
All right,
are we ready to head home?
No.
Your opening line made me
think you are.
- It was an excellent question.
- Yeah, excellent indeed.
Oh, c'mon.
Heikki, please bring me a drink.
- You want one?
- I sure do.
- I'll bring a glass. A bottle.
- Good.
- And a glass of water, please.
- Sure.
Thanks.
There's no space for dreaming in
a relationship?
Yes.
Damn, what a question.
- That should be in the marriage vows.
- True.
Maybe we should renew
our marriage vows
and make sure
we don't stop dreaming?
- Here you go.
- Lovely, thanks.
I think that's what it's about.
When you stop dreaming
in a relationship,
the relationship has come to an end.
I've experienced it.
Yeah.
I'm not the best person to answer,
but I'd say
that when you stop dreaming,
it means your partner is dead.
That's right.
Or at least the relationship is dead.
Or both are dead.
Of what? Or why? For what?
Do you think this is the right place
to sort out our...
- Where should we do it then?
- ...dreams and...
Risto, where should we do it then?
Tell me.
- Have you been drinking?
- Probably no more than you.
- You...
- I'd like to save this topic...
Why? You never talk to me.
The location doesn't matter.
Or do you want to have
this conversation
in front of Stockmann
department store?
This might sound like an accusation,
but do you talk to me?
Do you talk to me?
Gentlemen,
welcome to our therapy session.
- Do you talk to me?
- This isn't a therapy session.
If this was...
Well, in a way, it is,
since we have two outsiders here.
How about Heikki and I
go outside for a cigarillo.
Sure, I'll go with you.
Are you sure
you don't want to stay and listen?
We'll be back soon.
Isn't it a good thing
that you can be alone?
- Can I have one more cigarillo?
- Please, go ahead.
I'm sorry I didn't understand
the situation right away.
I think you're not the only one.
When I left work, I thought
I could finally make a decision
about the future of our relationship.
Risto, I waited for you...
I waited for you five or six hours.
But, if I'm being honest,
I've been waiting for you
for the last ten years.
- Yeah.
- Where have you been?
- Where have I been?
- Where have you been?
- Where? Where have you been?
- Where have you been?
You're traveling all the time.
Except now you've stayed home.
You travel. You're absent.
Not physically... Let me finish.
You're physically absent,
but you're
mentally absent just as much.
I've cried many nights,
hoping to get you back.
Hoping our relationship
would start working again.
But it felt desperate.
Why haven't you said anything?
- I think I have.
- No, you haven't.
I haven't found the words,
but I've tried to communicate it.
You know I'm damn bad at these things.
Risto, darling, don't you understand
that it's also one of our strengths?
- Sorry, I don't understand.
- You don't?
- What's our strength?
- Being different.
Our rhythms are different.It's an asset.
- I just...
Why don't you count on it?
Why don't you believe in it?
Why don't you surrender to it?
Or why don't you accept it?
Don't get upset when I say this,
but this situation is typical.
When you come and say things like that
in front of other people,
To me, it sounds...
"When you come and say."
If I didn't...
To me, it sounds like
you're accusing me.
If I didn't take the initiative,
we wouldn't say a word in our home.
- But darling...
- Oh, now you call me "darling."
When was the last time
you called me "darling"? When?
It's been a while.
You're right about that.
- Why has it been a while?
- I tried to...
Why haven't you?
Why haven't you done this?
Where have you been?
I understand your work comes
with a lot of responsibility.
But I'm sure you can see
this also affects our children?
If I was asked to describe
our relationship
from my perspective...
There was something really paradoxical
about that, but that's okay.
- Let me say this.
- Go ahead.
So if... Yeah.
If you think
this is so ridiculous per se,
- maybe it's best I don't say anything.
- No. Good.
Now that you're talking,
Risto, darling,
I sincerely hope that we'll
learn to laugh at ourselves.
It wasn't an insult.
I said it from my heart.
There is a paradox in this situation,
though.
Eeva. You're not letting me finish
even one sentence.
I'll listen.
- That's how you crush me.
- I admit to that.
You're overbearing.
You're like an avalanche
coming towards me.
I can't breathe. I run out of
oxygen when you're around.
I can't find words.
I tried to say this a moment ago.
If I had to describe our relationship,
I'd say it's me shouting your name
in the darkness,
but you can't hear me.
I've also cried because
when you're lying next to me,
I can't take your hand.
Why not?
I know you're just as sad
and heartbroken as I am.
- Why don't you take my hand?
- I don't know. I don't know.
When I touch you,
you shudder and leave.
You don't let me touch you.
You avoid it.
- Why? When you sleep...
- I know, but...
If I get close to you in bed,
you shudder and move.
Even in your deep sleep.
It says something.
And then you wonder
why I'm so overbearing, like you said.
What's happened?
Why are you talking to me
so openly now?
Why has it been so difficult to talk
all these years?
Why has it been impossible?
I'd like to be your soulmate.
I'd like to be the one
with whom you walk,
who you can trust
and with whom you can share
the things you love.
I've listed my mistakes many times.
I know how I've lived.
You know my disciplined self,
my whole structure.
I know how I withdraw.
But it's not that I'm trying
to reject you consciously.
I'm protecting myself.
Not even from you.
I don't know what from.
I'm protecting myself
from some fear
that comes from somewhere far away.
I don't know why I've been living
someone else's life, as I describe it.
I've been someone else
in my own home.
I've been someone else to you.
I've been someone else,
but I'd like to be something
that fills our home with love and
could make you happy.
I'm sure we both want to make
each other happy.
All right. See you.
- So, you're leaving.
- Yes. Be well.
All the best to you. Take care.
Thank you.
- Bye bye.
- Bye bye.
- Shall we go and get some sleep?
- That's not a bad idea.
But where?
I don't think I can stay here.
You know that.
- I'll go and sort my things out.
- Yeah.
Finally.
That's right.
But on one condition.
Promise me you won't burn
this place down.
Well, I can promise
I'll consider not burning it down.
I'll come back in a couple of years
to see if you made the right decision.
Okay. If this bar is here
and you come in,
the drinks are on the house.
Shall I request that in writing?
Surely you trust a man's word?
Dammit.
Yeah. It'll be all right.
This'll be all right too.
Heikki, thank you.
The light and delicate embrace
of another
Like the touch of the wind
A light and delicate embrace
That's all
Futile intelligence will eat you
like a rat
How can everything be finished
when nothing has been done?
What do you mean,
"feet on the ground"?
Have you seen somebody
walk on air?
I like you, that's all
Do I have to prove it
with thousands of words?
The light and delicate embrace
of another
Like the touch of the wind
A light and delicate embrace
That's all
Okay.
Calm down.
Stay inside, you and Terhi.
If he comes, don't let him in.
I'll be there as soon as I can.
GRACIOUS NIGHT
Attention all passengers.
Due to the coronavirus epidemic,
we ask that you practice
good hand hygiene...
- Hi.
- Hi.
Groceries again.
Call me when you need more.
- Happy May Day.
- You too.
Earlier this year
we couldn't foresee
the crisis would be
this deep and serious.
Even though Finland is
better prepared for crises
than many other countries,
the epidemic
and its social and financial effects
caught us by surprise.
That was Prime Minister Sanna Marin
at the press conference yesterday.
The man who was assaulted
in Myyrmäki, Vantaa, this morning
died in hospital due to the wounds.
The police are asking people
to come forward with information.
The motive for the violent attack
remains unknown at this time.
If you carry your fate
without blaming others
If you're willing to hear
the truth that hurts
If you speak your truth
even when others mock you
And if you're knocked down,
you get back up
If you see beauty
If you carry hope in your heart,
and love
If you can bear this
when the shadows grow longer
and the night comes
Because the night will come
Its black hand will grab you
and won't let go
You ask yourself,
"Was I ever anybody?"
When others stay
and won't join you
Maybe you smile because you know
Even though you only gave me
great sorrow, I can take it
What I'm feeling
I don't let others see
Can a man let others see
the burden of his sorrow?
No, because I might end up alone
My heart cries, but
I silence its voice
My aching heart is a secret
Only a secret
All my dreams fade away
one by one
- Yes?
- Hi, Heikki.
- Goddammit, it's you.
- Open the door.
I saw you had the lights on,
so I thought I'd dare to ask.
Well, we're closed. You know that.
Everyone's closed.
- Heikki.
- I can't sell you anything.
I have a good reason.
I'm sure
you can pour me one glass.
Sell me one glass.
- It's on me.
- Thank you.
- There's no one around, right?
- No.
C'mon on in.
A man was killed today.
The police are looking
for the perpetrator.
That's why I'm a bit jumpy.
It was on the radio.
Do you want good red wine
or very good red wine?
Two choices.
I want the best.
I almost knew it.
You came at the right time.
I just opened a bottle.
Oh, I didn't notice
you'd set a table and all.
- You're waiting for someone.
- No, I'm not waiting for anyone.
I thought my daughter might drop by.
But you never know with her.
Sometimes she comes;
sometimes she doesn't.
I won't be long, so...
Well, we have time to enjoy this.
You shouldn't drink this too fast.
- Here you go.
- Thank you.
- Happy May Day.
- Heikki, happy May Day.
Good wine.
I was here alone.
The table with the candles might look
like I was ready for a big party.
I was waiting for my daughter,
but she didn't come.
I was sitting here alone
and I thought,
"Dammit, it's as if I'm in a church."
A high, black vaulted ceiling.
Burning candles.
I felt like I was sanctifying
this emptiness
and silence and desolation.
How are you going to make it?
A week ago
I thought I was in deep shit.
Today I thought, "What the hell."
Here I am, stuck.
I'm not the only one who's stuck.
We'll see what happens.
It would be a pity
if you had to close this down
just when we got a bar
in the neighborhood.
There was nothing
before you opened this.
So, you've been busy.
Yeah.
- You're working with the virus patients?
- Yeah.
- I thought so.
- But...
But I couldn't leave
my regular patients.
- Yeah.
- They've been under my care for months.
I can't leave them. So...
Yes, it's interesting
how there are suddenly
so few of us.
Yes. There's no one here, for example.
Except us.
Not long ago, there were people.
When I left work today,
I got a message.
One of my patients died.
A 14-year-old girl.
A damn funny girl.
Vital and energetic.
And...
I tried to get her to Oslo,
to the research institute.
That was our last hope.
Maybe they could've saved her, but...
How she used to joke
about herself and me.
At the end of every appointment,
she'd tell me, "You suck."
"You actually suck."
She was a lovely girl.
She wrote me a letter.
A 14-year-old girl.
Putting bread on the table
doesn't come easy to you.
Well, yeah.
I always wondered...
You often hear people say
you can't let things get
under your skin.
- Well, yeah.
- You have to keep your distance.
But how? I couldn't.
Usually I can, but of course
sometimes you have...
- The older I get,the weaker my shield is.
- Right.
Maybe I'm becoming brittle.
I don't know.
This... This one hurt.
I don't know...
I don't know her
except for what you just told me,
but she seems like a great girl.
The world is brittle
in so many spots
that you see all the time
where it was hit.
- Yeah...
- Does that work?
Yes, it does.
And it's full of good music.
I see. I can't believe this.
- What do I need...
- A coin.
A one-euro coin.
I have a shopping cart token.
- Will it work?
- Go ahead.
- I'll see if it works.
- Don't tell anyone if it does.
4J.
Do I push the number and
the letter at the same time?
It doesn't matter.
4... J...
- What did you pick? Let me see.
- That one.
Not bad.
Not bad.
I'll clean up a bit.
The light and delicate embrace
of another
Like the touch of the wind
A light and delicate hold
That's all
Futile intelligence will eat you
like a rat
How can everything be finished
when nothing has been done?
You're not gonna fall asleep there,
are you?
I should close the place.
No.
You know,
when I left work, I decided
that I won't go home
before I've decided
whether I'm going to stay there
or leave.
Isn't your wife expecting you home?
She's home, but I don't know
if she's expecting me.
I guess she is.
Men usually go home
at some point.
I don't know.
It seems your life is a bit of a mess.
Yeah.
I don't know if this'll comfort you,
but you're not the first or
the last man whose life is.
It's as if...
I'm living someone else's life.
- What?
- I'm living someone else's life.
Where can I put this?
I'm living somebody else's life.
Then you have to stop doing that
and start living your real life.
- That was a stupid...
- No, that's great advice.
That's fantastic advice.
"Start living your real life."
- What else can you do?
- Well, yeah.
- Feel sorry for yourself?
- Heikki, I don't...
It's not my intention
to offer solutions.
- I wouldn't even be capable of it.
- Yeah.
What about your daughter?
Do you think she might still show up?
No. She would've shown up by now.
She's not coming.
It's so late. She's not coming.
It's better that way.
She's home safe.
She'll be fine.
I brought her food today.
She...
She's having some problems
of her own.
It would've been nice
if she had come, though.
I haven't talked to my son Alvar
in two years.
Okay.
Before that, we used to send e-mails,
mostly about work.
We had a good collegial relationship,
but then it somehow withered.
- Is he also a doctor?
- No, he's a researcher in Basel.
- My daughter still lives at home. Elli.
- Yeah.
Are you sure that being tired
is the reason
your home life seems so bleak?
The worst thing is
that it's not bleak.
It's completely colorless.
I don't feel anything.
- Do you understand?
- Yeah. Okay.
Of course I understand.
- I don't know what to say.
- You don't have to say anything.
- You probably don't expect me to.
- I don't. And...
But I can tell you
that I've heard hundreds of stories
like yours working behind the counter.
So you're not alone.
But I don't want to downplay
you feeling like your home life
doesn't have a future.
- Do you have any wine left?
- Yes, I do.
- Uh. How about we have...
- Okay.
- Good evening.
- We're closed.
Just when I thought
I finally found a place that was open.
All bars are closed.
I know,
but I saw people and lights here.
We're cleaning up, ready to go home.
We're closing.
- Can I charge my phone while you do that?
- No.
You can charge your phone
somewhere else. Not here.
- There are no places to charge it.
- Of course there are.
You can go to a gas station
or to a friend's house.
I dropped my keys
down the elevator shaft.
Your keys aren't
here, that's for sure.
The maintenance company
won't answer at this hour.
- That's not my problem.
- I know.
I can't sell anything.
I can't let customers in.
I forgot to lock the door.
Happy May Day!
My daughter's giving birth
any minute now.
I have to charge my phone so
I can get hold of her.
- Are you telling the truth?
- Of course I am.
That's an unbelievable story.
That's life. Children are born.
This will be my first grandchild.
Five minutes so I can...
Okay. Five minutes
so you can charge your phone.
Then you can call her. Follow me.
Thanks so much.
It's really important to me.
- I'll put my phone here.
- Yeah.
- I'll wait here.
- Yeah.
Five minutes
till my phone's got some power.
Then I'll vanish.
Take it to him.
- Happy May Day.
- Happy May Day.
My name is Jussi. Or Juhani.
But everybody calls me Jussi.
Hi. I'm Heikki.
I'm Risto.
I think your daughter will be
just fine on her own.
It's this crisis.
I can't go see her at hospital.
Does she have a doula?
- A what?
- A doula. A birth assistant.
No. She can't have anybody there
because of the crisis.
Birth assistants coach
expectant mothers.
- They can do it online.
- No. No, she doesn't have one.
I think
that of all people in the world,
you're the last one she needs there.
Yeah. This is just so special.
This will be my first grandchild.
- Do you have grandchildren?
- No, I don't.
No, I don't have grandchildren.
- But you have kids?
- Yes, one.
I have two.
May Day balloons.
A man gave it to me on the street.
I thought
he was going to hit me with it,
but he just wished me
a happy May Day.
- So, Risto, you work here too?
- No, I'm a doctor.
- A doctor?
- Yeah.
Really?
Okay.
I'm a civil servant.
Social services.
It's a really boring job.
It's not a very sexy profession.
Well, you define what it's like.
I'm the district manager
of western Vantaa.
You know, neighborhoods
like Martsu and Myrtsi.
That area.
The Myrtsi train station
smells like piss,
and drugs addicts shoot up there.
The shopping center at Martsu
is full of drunks.
That's my job.
Every time I start talking
about my job,
people look down
and they start looking
for something else to do.
They think it's boring.
What makes your job so boring?
Social policy as a topic is boring.
If you tell people you're a doctor,
they'll be interested.
If you tell them
you're in a managerial position
in social services,
they definitely don't find it sexy.
I disagree.
In times like these,
jobs like yours are needed.
- I'm glad you think so.
- I do.
But I don't want to talk
about work anymore.
If I had cigars, I'd offer you.
Even though
it's usually the baby's father
who offers them to his friends.
But I'd like to have a cigar anyway.
Sorry, I have to...
It totally sucks...
I love being able to say
something sucks.
Dismantling the welfare state sucks.
I could never say it at work.
But it sucks that after the recession
in the 90's,
the purchasing power
of people's basic income
has fallen 40 percent
in relation to the salaries.
That really sucks.
We're abandoning
a large part of our people,
probably 10 percent.
Every government has done it.
When I started working
in social services,
I believed that our society
would accept underprivileged people
and help them.
Now we're just fighting fires
without extinguishers.
We can see that in our work,
you and me.
We're in a similar situation.
You have your work,
and it's just as important.
Well, a nice way to put it is
to say I'm a kitchen psychologist.
- Well...
- Sorry, you can't smoke inside.
- Okay.
- It's...
- Can I have one?
- They're not mine; ask Risto.
- Smoke outside.
- Yes.
Yeah, colleague.
- He's a talkative guy.
- Yeah.
Well, yeah.
- Did your wife call?
- No.
My daughter called
and complained a bit.
I think her mother had said
something to her.
I had a discussion with her
and told her I preferred to discuss
these things with her mother.
- Right.
- And not through her.
How old is she?
She'll graduate from
high school next spring.
- Right. She's still home.
- Yeah.
- She's a lovely girl.
- Yeah.
- I can't say no.
- I'm starting to enjoy myself.
- Unfortunately.
- Despite the chatterbox showing up.
Well, yeah, but he's all right.
Once the phone is charged a bit more,
we'll get rid of him.
This is balm for my soul.
How can it be such good balm?
It's a question of choosing
your profession.
I'm starting to feel a bit better.
- Good. That's the intention.
- Yeah.
Yeah. All right, she's calling.
Should we...
- Should I answer?
- Yeah.
We don't want to miss this.
Yes...
I have to say I'm not...
I'm not Jussi.
Jussi is here.
He's outside at the moment.
I can go get him.
- I just happened to answer his phone.
I'll give him your message.
Yeah.
Yeah. I can't help you.
No. He'll call you back soon.
You can sort it out with him.
Yeah. Good.
Yes, soon. Calm down. Calm down.
Yeah. Good. Bye.
- Problems with the birth?
- Fucking fucking fuck.
There's no baby.
He's the man the
police are looking for.
He killed a man.
The woman who called
wanted to warn him.
She thought I was him.
He killed a man.
- We have to call the police.
- He might have a gun.
If he finds out we called the police,
we'll be in trouble.
- Is he coming?
- Maybe he left?
- His phone is here.
- Oh, that's right.
Just what I need today.
Is he coming? All right.
So you had your smoke.
- I'm sorry, I took a cigarillo from you.
- That's okay.
I don't smoke normally.
But somehow now...
Do you want another glass
while you wait?
If it's no trouble.
The house is in a generous mood.
Uh... Is anybody hungry?
Risto is hungry. Are you hungry?
I'll make sandwiches.
Come get your wine.
Take your wine.
Drink your wine. Risto, come help me
with the sandwiches.
We'll make a couple of them.
- If it's no trouble.
- Not at all.
Damned jerry can.
This is messed up.
- Call the police.
- I don't have my phone with me.
- It's on the counter.
- Goddammit.
- Why don't you call them.
- My phone's in my jacket pocket.
Let's make the sandwiches.
- What are we going to do?
- How about we do nothing?
- Shouldn't we get rid of him?
- No.
You see,
what do you have in your hands here?
You have a killer.
- You understand?
- Yes, and I'm trying to get rid of him.
I'll go get plates.
How many times have you had a killer
in your restaurant?
Never.
How about we play with him?
Find out what he's like.
You understand?
All right.
Here's a little something to eat.
You answered my phone.
I had to.
You said your daughter might call.
You killed someone.
What do you mean, "killed"?
He didn't die.
- He did.
- He died.
He's dead.
That's why the woman called.
He tried to warn you he's dead
and the police are after you.
What do we do now?
How about you call the police
and ask them to come here?
Hey, don't. Hey, don't.
I'm no murderer.
- It was an accident.
- Yeah, good.
Call the police
and sort it out right away.
That's the only thing you can do.
I'll tell you what happened.
It was an accident.
It might've been an accident
or intentional.
There's no way we can know.
And we're not judges.
I just want to tell what happened.
I think the police would be
a better listener in this case.
It's not that simple.
Life is not black-and-white.
Let me tell you.
Okay, but after that
you have to make a decision.
I promise.
I've always told my subordinates
and even
our social services customers
about the concept of liberty.
There's negative liberty,
having freedom from something.
And then there's positive liberty,
having freedom to do something.
As you know, most people think,
"When I'm free of this, I'll do that."
"When it's the weekend
or when I get rid of someone."
I never thought
I was one of those people.
I thought I had freedom to do things.
I got divorced two years ago.
When I divorced my wife Anneli
and freed myself of that empty,
belittling relationship,
I had nothing to replace it with.
For a couple of weeks,
I listened to Thelonious Monk
and drank red wine.
Then I realized my life was
a complete vacuum.
That's when Victoria
stepped into my life.
Or she came into my life.
And Terhi, her daughter.
Victoria moved to Finland
from Chile to study pharmacology.
She met Jarkko,
a young ophthalmologist
who was very successful and popular.
She fell in love and married him.
Terhi was born.
I guess their life was happy.
For some time,
they lived in an upscale neighborhood.
But then Jarkko turned out
to be a narcissist.
A sadist.
He'd beat Victoria,
manipulate her, abuse her.
- Did you report it?
- I didn't know her yet at that time.
If you knew about it,
why didn't you report it?
I found out only later.
They divorced,
and Victoria and Terhi moved
to Myrtsi, which is in my sector.
They became my clients.
That's when I found out
he was abusing her.
She was mentally very unstable.
Terhi was also showing symptoms.
How long were they married?
- A little over a year.
- Okay.
So their daughter was really young.
Barely a toddler.
Terhi is six now.
He continued beating her
after the divorce.
He would come to her place
whenever he wanted.
I told Victoria to report him
to the police.
I told her it wasn't that difficult
and that I'd help her with everything.
But she would say, "No, no.
I'm sure it was my fault."
"I provoked him."
She took the blame.
Victoria became an obsession with me.
A weak, helpless woman with a child.
And the absolute
Satan himself, Jarkko.
That damn narcissist.
She became an obsession, I admit it.
I did realize it.
I guess I fell in love with her.
She was the complete package.
My marriage was childless.
I don't have a daughter.
I'm sorry I lied about that.
I don't have a daughter
that's giving birth at the moment.
I always wanted a daughter,
in particular.
I just want to say one thing now.
Whoever
witnesses a situation like that
must do everything to stop it.
What can you do?
You can't do anything.
But I did cross
my professional boundaries.
I crossed a boundary I shouldn't cross
in my position.
I'll just say, "Go ahead."
"Go and break those boundaries."
I did it. I did it.
I called Jarkko.
I told him that if he didn't stop,
that I'd make him stop.
I'd report him to the police.
And?
I even went to his work
the eye hospital.
The guards kicked me out, of course.
It was starting to become...
I don't know.
An obsession.
I guess that's what it's called.
This morning my phone rang.
I was on my morning run.
It was 10:37.
The phone rang. It was Victoria.
She was in a panic.
She said,
"Jussi, I don't know what to do."
"Jarkko's on his way here,
and I'm scared."
"What should I do? Help me, Jussi.
Help me, Jussi."
What happened?
I told her to stay inside with Terhi
and not let him in.
I said, "If he comes,
don't let him in."
"I'll be there as soon as I can."
I ran like crazy to her house.
I stood at the entrance.
Jarkko's BMW pulls up.
And then you beat him up and..?
I stood at the entrance.
He got out of the car
and slammed the door.
He looked at me with contempt.
Challenging me.
I said, "You're not walking
through this door."
I won't let this continue.
It stops now.
He said, "Go ahead, try to stop me,
you piece of shit."
He pushed me, and
I fell to the ground.
I got up and grabbed his shoulders
and said,
"This stops now.
Jarkko, it stops now."
He hit me; I fell to the ground.
He beat and kicked me.
He's a damn strong guy.
A fighter.
I tried to protect myself.
My balls and my face.
I lay there like a sack.
One of my customers once told me
that if you're being beaten up,
just lie there like a sack.
Just try to protect
your face and balls.
I thought, "Please make this stop."
At some point I
couldn't feel anything.
I imagined Victoria being in my place.
Her being beaten and kicked.
Terhi sitting in the corner, crying.
I don't know where I got
this surge of strength from,
but I got up and grabbed him
by his collar and pushed him down.
There was a toy truck on the ground,
and he tripped over it.
He hit his head
on a granite paving stone.
He was lying there, and I thought...
I don't know what I thought.
I looked at him a moment.
I heard Ultra Bra's song
"I'll Protect You from Everything"
being played somewhere.
I checked if anyone saw me.
I don't know
why I thought no one saw me.
Only a street sweeper drove by.
I started running. I
ran and ran, home.
I went home and changed clothes.
I walked around the city.
I was wondering what I should do.
Should I go somewhere...
I should've called the police
right away.
I should've called an ambulance.
But I acted like a child.
In that situation I was like a child
who got caught
doing something naughty.
Can you understand this at all?
But I saved two people.
Jarkko was a bad person.
Okay, I know human life is sacred.
No one has the right to interfere
in another person's life.
If there's a God,
he has the right to interfere,
but people don't.
Human life is sacred.
What would you have done in my place?
The point is this:
I agree with you completely.
You saved those people.
I would've done the same.
I would've done the same thing.
I would've done everything I could...
The person I am today would've done
everything to save the people I love.
Even if you had to kill someone?
- Of course I don't want to kill anyone.
- I didn't want to kill him.
I'm telling you,
I would've done the same thing.
But as you know,
after what happened,
of course you'll end up behind bars.
It was no less than
negligent homicide.
I don't know the law,
but it was no less than that.
What's interesting is
that when you walked in,
you looked like a savior.
But did you feel pleasure
at the moment when you pushed him?
No...
- I think this is an interesting question.
You know...
Like you said, you saved them.
Why did you ask about pleasure?
If it's about ethos,
if you want to be a hero,
you do a hero's job.
The only thing that went wrong
was not calling
the police or an ambulance.
- Would you have called them?
- You bet.
I think I would've too,
but I think
it would be interesting to know
whether you see yourself
as an avenger or a savior.
That's why I asked if you enjoyed it.
- Do you understand what I mean?
- Yes, I do.
But I don't think I enjoyed it
at the moment.
But before that, I was a hero.
I saw myself as a hero.
I'll rephrase the question.
I'm sure you've relived the situation
a million times
and thought about what you would do
if you met him.
You wanted to strangle him, right?
- Probably.
- That's what I mean.
But if I tell that to the police...
You talked
about freedom from something
and freedom to do things.
Avenger or savior?
You understand?
You're at a threshold.
You can define whether you want
to have freedom to do things.
Are you a savior or avenger?
In a way, you're building a theory
about how people do good deeds.
And a theory about whether it
gives you pleasure beforehand.
Has the heroic ethos been constructed
beforehand?
I interpret the act as an act of love.
You tried to show your love
to this woman, Victoria,
and her daughter.
In this society, how... I mean,I
have to take responsibility for this.
If I told the police
what kind of monster
I created of Jarkko in my mind,
I would be convicted of murder.
The police would think I planned it.
I guess it's a question
of whether you know
you did the right thing
and whether you assume
all responsibility for it.
I agree.
I have this scary thought
that this is the catastrophe
towards which I've been drifting
all these years.
That somewhere
in my deep consciousness
I realized that this is the catastrophe
towards which I was drifting.
As if there was this force inside me.
To me, that sounds
like mystification of the situation.
To me too.
That's something
you should talk about.
It was a concrete thing.
You pushed him and he fell.
It was practically an accident.
If you say that was your fate...
During the war, young officers
mystified and sought death.
If you, through a mystical experience,
actively seek
something where your feeling
of being alive becomes real,
of course you'll start to move
in that direction
and do something like that.
- Do you understand?
- I understand.
I think you should dissect
your sense of life.
I'm so damn happy
I get to share this with you.
I'm so damn happy.
I need time to understand everything.
I needed to pour my heart out
to somebody.
Hey.
- My new friends.
- Erm...
Erm, I was going
to bring up drinking again.
- Shall we open another bottle?
- Absolutely.
- I'm all for that.
- Good.
I'll go find some wine.
Put some music on.
Hey, hey, hey.
Closed! Closed! We're closed!
You can't come in.
Out, out, out, out.
Don't go to the counter.
- This bar is closed.
- There are other people.
I can't sell you beer.
It's an authority regulation.
Why are there others?
They're my friends.
Don't worry about them.
We can be your friends, too.
No service. Thank you. Leave.
- Beer! Beer!
- I can't sell you beer now.
- Well, give us beer then!
- Give you beer?
- Free beer! Free beer!
- No frigging way.What a great idea.
Okay. Hey. I'll give you
a bottle of Corona each.
They won't cost you anything,
but they're not free.
What does that mean?
You have to sing something
to the gentlemen over there.
Life has dealt them a few blows
recently. A song that suits May Day.
- Can we sing "On a Rocky..."?
- Yes.
On a rocky hill
is where I'll build my cottage
Come, come, girl
and share it with me
If I can't have a corona
I will move far from here
To a foreign country
so that I don't have to see you there
One more. Thank you!
Thank you!
To a rocky hill...
Bye. Have a nice journey!
Come, come, girl
and share it with me
All right.
We managed to get rid of them.
Sometimes I ask myself
why the hell I run a bar like this.
I can't get rich doing this.
I'm always working.
But then people like those young ones
show up,
and it's as if energy fills the house.
That's what this place was built for.
Isn't it comforting to know
that even though they know
that the place is closed
and nobody can enter,
they barge in.
- Isn't that a pretty good sign?
- Of course it feels good.
It does feel good,
even though
I'm afraid of the authorities.
But this isn't an underground bar.
This is an open bar.
A good old bar.
I have to tell you something.
My grandpa
was from Ladoga, Karelia,
close to Petrozavodsk.
Aminoff was his last name.
When he was little,
the family was quite wealthy.
His father was
from a family of tradesmen.
Mom came from a wealthy family.
Well, things didn't go very well
for them in Stalin's Soviet Union.
His father was killed,
and Mother went to prison.
Grandpa had a dream, a premonition.
He was a shaman type of man.
He had a dream, a premonition:
He'd have to leave.
Dogs are chasing him.
And his last years, he'll spend in
an apartment with a view of the sea.
He fled, crossed the border,
chased by dogs
traveled around Finland.
He ended up in Helsinki.
He had nothing. No money.
Only one set of clothes.
Didn't know anybody.
He had nothing when he came here.
It wasn't easy coming to Finland
back then if you were Russian.
That was before the Second World War.
After a string of jobs,
he ended up here.
He went to work in the workshops.
He was here for several years.
He built locomotives
and did maintenance on them.
Found himself a woman, Helvi.
Got married
and slowly saved money.
Then he decided to open a bar.
He had damn good stories.
He was
a real Russian traveling salesman.
He had really good stories.
He got along with people.
Everybody liked him.
People would say,
"Heikki's here again."
I was named after him.
He opened a bar. It was close by,
on Aleksis Kiven katu Street.
It was a small bar, but it went well.
There were a lot of regulars,
and Grandpa looked after them.
Time passed,
and Grandpa got tired and sick,
and my dad ran it for some time.
But Dad didn't really know
how to run a bar.
He liked being
on the wrong side of the counter.
Then I ended up running it. I was 22.
I knew nothing about running a bar,
especially the business end.
But I had a hell of a lot of fun.
Grandpa's old friends were there,
and I became their friend
because they'd seen me there before.
My life path resembled my grandpa's.
I found a woman. We had good times.
We had a daughter.
Well, then my wife died.
That happened a long time ago already.
It was me and my daughter.
The situation with the bar was shaky.
This area was getting quieter.
The neighborhood next to it
was lively,
but this neighborhood was quiet.
Well, then they started
building the new apartment buildings.
Things started getting better again.
I decided that I'd make a bold move
when I found this place.
I took out a hell of a loan.
I decided to create a bar
exactly the way I liked it.
It sounds a bit corny,
or melodramatic,
but in a way, I created this
for my grandpa.
He liked being with people.
He liked playing billiards;
that's why I got the tables.
I opened this in the fall.
Then the crisis came,
and all bars had to close.
- It's over now.
- Why do you say that?
Because I have to keep it closed.
You can't close it down.
This isn't only your story;
it's also your grandpa's story.
- This is a story of generations.
- Well, it's a bit like...
- It's a story of all of us...
- It's my identity.
It's also melodramatic to say,
but this is my identity.
My identity comes
from beyond three generations.
You can't close it down.
My opinion on closing it down
doesn't matter.
When there's no money,
there's no bar.
And the truth is,
soon there will be no money.
I can't even say it looks bad.
It looks damn hopeless.
But I've decided that nobody gets it
if I can't keep it.
This is my bar. This is my identity.
When I go, it goes.
I don't know
if I'm the right person to say this,
but that's too final.
There's something else going on here.
I talked about my fate.
This place is your fate.
When it's your fate,
it's no longer a question of money.
- Yes, but you see...
- It's a bigger question.
We're talking about something that...
Nobody leaves this world
with their money.
They don't; that's true.
That's what I mean. That's the thing.
That's the scale
on which you have to think.
You said your fate was to meet
that violent man.
And your fate was to say your
final goodbyes to the 14-year-old.
My fate is to say my final goodbyes
to this bar.
I have a canister of gasoline
in the back.
This bar will burn tonight.
Heikki, you still have a chance.
You have a chance to put an end
to your catastrophe.
I think we should burn it down now.
Yeah. Bang and burn! Yeah, fuck.
Before that, we'll empty
the row of bottles.
Give me matches. You have matches.
- I have matches.
- Give them to me.
- So it begins.
- Here we go.
To my grandpa's memory.
- Aminoff.
- Yeah.
The name was later translated
into Finnish: Amikainen.
Thanks for the matches.
The only conflict is:
what else would I do for a living?
Yeah.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
I can go to prison and work
in the kitchen, make pea soup.
- For me.
- Yeah.
We'll start a book club, goddammit.
- An arsonist and a killer.
- Yeah.
- A healer.
- That's right.
I'm sure this'll be closed down
one day.
You're such a good man
that you won't...
It's useless to imagine things,
to go into such darkness.
There are always solutions.
You know that.
Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Since you're a bit older than me,
could you tell me
what it means when you stop
dreaming in a relationship.
You came here
to find an answer to that?
That's an excellent question.
An excellent question indeed.
Was that dart directed at me?
Yeah, you should probably think
about whether it was a dart,
an aphorism,
wordplay or a May Day prank.
All right,
are we ready to head home?
No.
Your opening line made me
think you are.
- It was an excellent question.
- Yeah, excellent indeed.
Oh, c'mon.
Heikki, please bring me a drink.
- You want one?
- I sure do.
- I'll bring a glass. A bottle.
- Good.
- And a glass of water, please.
- Sure.
Thanks.
There's no space for dreaming in
a relationship?
Yes.
Damn, what a question.
- That should be in the marriage vows.
- True.
Maybe we should renew
our marriage vows
and make sure
we don't stop dreaming?
- Here you go.
- Lovely, thanks.
I think that's what it's about.
When you stop dreaming
in a relationship,
the relationship has come to an end.
I've experienced it.
Yeah.
I'm not the best person to answer,
but I'd say
that when you stop dreaming,
it means your partner is dead.
That's right.
Or at least the relationship is dead.
Or both are dead.
Of what? Or why? For what?
Do you think this is the right place
to sort out our...
- Where should we do it then?
- ...dreams and...
Risto, where should we do it then?
Tell me.
- Have you been drinking?
- Probably no more than you.
- You...
- I'd like to save this topic...
Why? You never talk to me.
The location doesn't matter.
Or do you want to have
this conversation
in front of Stockmann
department store?
This might sound like an accusation,
but do you talk to me?
Do you talk to me?
Gentlemen,
welcome to our therapy session.
- Do you talk to me?
- This isn't a therapy session.
If this was...
Well, in a way, it is,
since we have two outsiders here.
How about Heikki and I
go outside for a cigarillo.
Sure, I'll go with you.
Are you sure
you don't want to stay and listen?
We'll be back soon.
Isn't it a good thing
that you can be alone?
- Can I have one more cigarillo?
- Please, go ahead.
I'm sorry I didn't understand
the situation right away.
I think you're not the only one.
When I left work, I thought
I could finally make a decision
about the future of our relationship.
Risto, I waited for you...
I waited for you five or six hours.
But, if I'm being honest,
I've been waiting for you
for the last ten years.
- Yeah.
- Where have you been?
- Where have I been?
- Where have you been?
- Where? Where have you been?
- Where have you been?
You're traveling all the time.
Except now you've stayed home.
You travel. You're absent.
Not physically... Let me finish.
You're physically absent,
but you're
mentally absent just as much.
I've cried many nights,
hoping to get you back.
Hoping our relationship
would start working again.
But it felt desperate.
Why haven't you said anything?
- I think I have.
- No, you haven't.
I haven't found the words,
but I've tried to communicate it.
You know I'm damn bad at these things.
Risto, darling, don't you understand
that it's also one of our strengths?
- Sorry, I don't understand.
- You don't?
- What's our strength?
- Being different.
Our rhythms are different.It's an asset.
- I just...
Why don't you count on it?
Why don't you believe in it?
Why don't you surrender to it?
Or why don't you accept it?
Don't get upset when I say this,
but this situation is typical.
When you come and say things like that
in front of other people,
To me, it sounds...
"When you come and say."
If I didn't...
To me, it sounds like
you're accusing me.
If I didn't take the initiative,
we wouldn't say a word in our home.
- But darling...
- Oh, now you call me "darling."
When was the last time
you called me "darling"? When?
It's been a while.
You're right about that.
- Why has it been a while?
- I tried to...
Why haven't you?
Why haven't you done this?
Where have you been?
I understand your work comes
with a lot of responsibility.
But I'm sure you can see
this also affects our children?
If I was asked to describe
our relationship
from my perspective...
There was something really paradoxical
about that, but that's okay.
- Let me say this.
- Go ahead.
So if... Yeah.
If you think
this is so ridiculous per se,
- maybe it's best I don't say anything.
- No. Good.
Now that you're talking,
Risto, darling,
I sincerely hope that we'll
learn to laugh at ourselves.
It wasn't an insult.
I said it from my heart.
There is a paradox in this situation,
though.
Eeva. You're not letting me finish
even one sentence.
I'll listen.
- That's how you crush me.
- I admit to that.
You're overbearing.
You're like an avalanche
coming towards me.
I can't breathe. I run out of
oxygen when you're around.
I can't find words.
I tried to say this a moment ago.
If I had to describe our relationship,
I'd say it's me shouting your name
in the darkness,
but you can't hear me.
I've also cried because
when you're lying next to me,
I can't take your hand.
Why not?
I know you're just as sad
and heartbroken as I am.
- Why don't you take my hand?
- I don't know. I don't know.
When I touch you,
you shudder and leave.
You don't let me touch you.
You avoid it.
- Why? When you sleep...
- I know, but...
If I get close to you in bed,
you shudder and move.
Even in your deep sleep.
It says something.
And then you wonder
why I'm so overbearing, like you said.
What's happened?
Why are you talking to me
so openly now?
Why has it been so difficult to talk
all these years?
Why has it been impossible?
I'd like to be your soulmate.
I'd like to be the one
with whom you walk,
who you can trust
and with whom you can share
the things you love.
I've listed my mistakes many times.
I know how I've lived.
You know my disciplined self,
my whole structure.
I know how I withdraw.
But it's not that I'm trying
to reject you consciously.
I'm protecting myself.
Not even from you.
I don't know what from.
I'm protecting myself
from some fear
that comes from somewhere far away.
I don't know why I've been living
someone else's life, as I describe it.
I've been someone else
in my own home.
I've been someone else to you.
I've been someone else,
but I'd like to be something
that fills our home with love and
could make you happy.
I'm sure we both want to make
each other happy.
All right. See you.
- So, you're leaving.
- Yes. Be well.
All the best to you. Take care.
Thank you.
- Bye bye.
- Bye bye.
- Shall we go and get some sleep?
- That's not a bad idea.
But where?
I don't think I can stay here.
You know that.
- I'll go and sort my things out.
- Yeah.
Finally.
That's right.
But on one condition.
Promise me you won't burn
this place down.
Well, I can promise
I'll consider not burning it down.
I'll come back in a couple of years
to see if you made the right decision.
Okay. If this bar is here
and you come in,
the drinks are on the house.
Shall I request that in writing?
Surely you trust a man's word?
Dammit.
Yeah. It'll be all right.
This'll be all right too.
Heikki, thank you.
The light and delicate embrace
of another
Like the touch of the wind
A light and delicate embrace
That's all
Futile intelligence will eat you
like a rat
How can everything be finished
when nothing has been done?
What do you mean,
"feet on the ground"?
Have you seen somebody
walk on air?
I like you, that's all
Do I have to prove it
with thousands of words?
The light and delicate embrace
of another
Like the touch of the wind
A light and delicate embrace
That's all