News, 22.6.2020

Finnish culture straight to your couch

Here is a list of Finnish films, museums, concerts, podcasts, and other online cultural experiences you can enjoy from the comfort of your home. We will update this list regularly, so please keep an eye on this page.

Finnish films and TV-series

Bordertown (2016–)(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)
This crime fiction series combines family drama with police procedural. Detective Inspector Kari Sorjonen is a respected officer at the National Bureau of Investigation in Finland, when his wife barely survives brain cancer. Sorjonen decides to take a new job in the Serious Crime Unit in an idyllic small town near the border of Russia, to live a quiet life there with his family. But how peaceful is life on the border between two worlds?
Two seasons on Netflix(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window). Trailer here(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

Deadwind (2018-)(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)
Just months after a tragic loss, detective Sofia Karppi investigates the murder of a woman with ties to a Helsinki construction company.
Two seasons on Netflix(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window). Trailer here(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

Aurora (2019)(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)
This romantic comedy-drama playfully tackles prejudices and breaks down genre conventions. Aurora, a commitment-phobic party girl, meets Iranian Darian at a hot-dog stand in Lapland. Darian needs to marry a Finnish woman to get an asylum for himself and his daughter. Aurora is running away from love. They need each other in order to finally stop running.
On Amazon Prime(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window). Trailer here(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019)(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)
When a new threat emerges that puts both Bird and Pig Island in danger, Red (Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride), and Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage) recruit Chuck’s sister Silver (Rachel Bloom) and team up with pigs Leonard (Bill Hader), his assistant Courtney (Awkwafina), and tech-pig Garry (Sterling K. Brown) to forge an unsteady truce and form an unlikely super team to save their homes.
Multiple sources for streaming, list here(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window). Trailer here(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

Heavy Trip (2018)(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)
In this offbeat comedy movie, amateur metal band Impaled Rektum is stuck in a small town, working day jobs and dreaming of making it big. Turo, 25, tries to lead his band to the hottest metal festival in Norway. After a surprise visit from a heavy metal music promoter, the band decides it's time to play a real gig. They steal a van, a corpse, and even a drummer in order to make their dreams a reality.
On Amazon Prime(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window). Trailer here(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

Ailo’s Journey (2018)(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)
Ailo's Journey is a wonderful film for the whole family. Ailo’s awakening to this wild world is a real adventure, taking place in the stunning landscapes of northern Finland, in Lapland. Throughout his journey, the frail and vulnerable newborn reindeer must overcome the ordeals that stand in the way of his first year of life and his first long trek as the herd migrates. It is an uplifting story warmed by endless mother’s love as she watches over Ailo in his incredible adventures with other creatures of the Arctic.
On Amazon Prime(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window). Trailer here(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

Dog's Don't Wear Pants (2019)(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)
Juha has lost his wife in a drowning accident. Years after, he still feels numb and unable to connect with people. Meeting Mona, a dominatrix, changes everything.
On Shudder(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window). Trailer here(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

The Girl King (2015)(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)
The Girl King is a historical drama about Christina, Queen of Sweden, who took the throne at the age of six in 1632. The film follows her fight against the conservative forces against her ideas for modernization and their intolerance for her awakening sexuality. Directed by Mika Kaurismäki (Finland).On Hulu(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), Google Play(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), Amazon(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) and iTunes(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), trailer here(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

Directed by Aki Kaurismäki(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) @ Criterion Channel
The wry, deadpan seriocomedies of Finland’s most famous film director are infused with both a minimalist cool and the wintry, desolate spirit of their frequent setting, Helsinki.

National Audiovisual Institute has a collection of 2,300 films(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) that includes Finnish classics, short films, and vintage advertisements.

Finnish music and podcasts

Nordic Jazz 2020(Link to another website.), The Nordic Embassies in Washington, D.C. showcased top jazz artists from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Watch Finnish trumpeter Verneri Pohjola's performance here(Link to another website.).

Coronagigs in Finland(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)
An updated list of streamable live gigs

Finnish Songs We Should All Know(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) (Spotify)

Finnish National Opera and Ballet(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)
View beautiful opera and ballet performances until next autumn.

Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)

Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)

Sibelius Academy of Uniarts Helsinki(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) (YouTube)

Everybody needs a little bit of Sibelius’ Finlandia in their lives. Watch Lahti Symphony Orchestra(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) (all 62 of them!) performing the classic from their homes.

Music Finland’s playlist(Link to another website.) of Finnish tunes will lift your spirits. The playlist is updated several times a week with changing themes and genres.

Suomi-Finland Podcast: All Things Finnish American(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud)
Welcome to an audio journey through all things Finnish and Finnish American! Finnish Diplomatic Missions in the US are making a podcast about various topics, ranging from defense to sports and culture.

Finlandssvensk Krimpodden(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) (Spotify)

Nordic Jazz 2020(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) (Facebook)
For 14 years, the Nordic Embassies in Washington, D.C. have showcased top jazz artists from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark, here in the U.S. This year, Nordic Jazz 2020 went online:

Sinne Eeg & Shanghai Trio (Denmark)
Verneri Pohjola (Finland)
Ingi Bjarni Quintet (Iceland)
Kornstad Trio (Norway)
Isabella Lundgren (Sweden)

Museums and galleries

Amos Rex(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), Helsinki, winner of the prestigious Leading Culture Destination award for New Cultural Destination of the Year – Europe(Link to another website.) in 2020.

Kiasma(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) Online Art(Link to another website.) (The Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki) is the web extension of Kiasma’s Collection. It is an internet experience and tribute to today’s online art-makers.

HAM(Link to another website.), Helsinki Art Museum, a selection of the museum's art and collections available online

The Finnish Museum of Photography(Link to another website.), Helsinki, a selection of the museum's collection of over two million photographs available online

Design Museum(Link to another website.), Helsinki, web exhibitions

Helsinki City Museum(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), Helsinki, virtual tour

The (Link to another website.)Gallen-Kallela Museum(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), Espoo, virtual tour

Studio of Alvar Aalto(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), Alvar Aalto Foundation, Helsinki, virtual tour

Alvar Aalto Museum(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), Alvar Aalto Foundation, Helsinki, virtual tour

Didrichsen Art Museum(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), Helsinki, virtual tour

Finnish Glass Museum(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), Riihimäki, virtual tour

Finnish Air Force Museum(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), Tikkakoski, virtual tour

Natural History Museum(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), Helsinki, virtual tour

Ateneum(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), The Finnish National Gallery, Helsinki. 13 short films(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) of the most beloved artworks in their collection. Ateneum Art Gate, an augmented reality mobile application for art lovers. Instructions on how to download the app here(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)

National (Link to another website.)Nordic Museum(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), Seattle

Online Nordic Art & Culture(Link to another website.) from Scandinavia House

Visual arts

Together Alone(Link to another website.), an initiative by the 17 Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes(Link to another website.) around the world with 20 commissioned online art projects based on international collaboration. The projects can also be found on social media with the hashtag #togetheralonefi(Link to another website.)

Poikkeustila(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), the photo exhibition by over 160 Finnish photographers captures the everyday life during the times of social distancing and staying at home

Finna's(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) extensive digital art collections

AV-arkki(Link to another website.), the Centre for Finnish Media Art, hosts an online library of thousands of Finnish media artworks

Taide.Art(Link to another website.) website

Performing arts

A Chair Fit for an Angel(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) explores the cultural legacy of the Shakers, a religious group devoted to create heaven on earth.
The document was inspired by Finnish choreographer Tero Saarinen’s creation Borrowed Light(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), a dance piece about communal life and individual sacrifice

Agit Cirk(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)
°360 circus performances

Circo Aereo(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window): Jammed -series of short films by Thom Moncton

Kallo Collective(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window): Together Alone
Physical theater and contemporary circus

For kids and families

Bobola(Link to another website.): joyful ideas to help families and creative friends all around the world to find nice things to do

Tove Jansson’s short story The Invisible Child is an important reminder of the power of caring. It works beautifully as a vehicle for helping children learn about empathy and how important it is to see and to be seen. Listen(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) to the story read buy Tove Jansson’s niece Sophia Jansson

Moominvalley Stories
Part 1(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window): A little history of Moomin creator Tove Jansson
Part 2(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window): The story of Sniff's dog Cedric
Part 3(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window): "The Invisible Child," the tale of Ninny part 1
Part 4(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window): "The Invisible Child," the tale of Ninny part 2

Korkeasaari Zoo in Helsinki has installed few livecams(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) . You can watch dwarf mongoose, pygmy marmosets, white-faced sakis or reindeers going about their daily business

Online Children’s Art workshops(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) from the Heimbold Family Children’s Playing & Learning Center

Education

Elements of AI(Link to another website.), a series of free online courses teaching the basics of artificial intelligence, created by Reaktor (Link to another website.)and The University of Helsinki(Link to another website.).

Duolingo(Link to another website.), Finnish now available on the popular language learning application's course selection

Right to Education(Link to another website.), free educational technology applications and resources to support distance learning

Virtual tours

Virtual Helsinki(Link to another website.): experience the future platform for experiences, shopping and social encounters in the capital of Finland. Virtual Helsinki is digital twin of the Helsinki City center, created in high-quality 3D for virtual reailty by Zoan(Link to another website.)

Presidential Palace(Link to another website.)
Visit the Presidential Palace in Helsinki

Explore the outdoors in Finland

Sea Fortress Suomenlinna(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)
WWF Wildlive(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)

In distress abroad

Finnish passport and identity card

Family and citizenship

Notarial services

Partnership States

Finns in the U.S.

Newsletters

Embassy, Washington

Consulate General, New York

Consulate General, Los Angeles