(People in the Summer Night) is a 1948 Finnish film directed by Valentin Vaala. It is based on Frans Eemil Sillanpää's 1934 novel of the same title.
The film stars Eila Pehkonen, Matti Oravisto, Martti Katajisto, Emma Väänänen, Eero Roine and Kaisu Leppänen.
Plot The film concentrates on the destinies of a small group of people during one summer night. All events in the film are told from two different perspectives. During the night people are falling in love, fighting drunk, dying, and being born.
Nature is just as important a part of the movie as the actors are. The novelist Sillanpää himself had told Vaala to keep in mind that there should be only one main character, and that is the summer night.
Cast
Reception received mostly positive reviews from Finnish critics. They especially praised Eino Heino's cinematography, stating that such beautiful and sensitive capturing of Finnish nature had never before been seen in domestic films.
The film received four Jussi Awards; in addition to actors Martti Katajisto, Eero Roine and Kaisu Leppänen, also Valentin Vaala and Lea Joutseno were awarded for the screenplay.
Commentary The character Nokia is considered to be the first gay character in Finnish cinema.
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