KARACHI, May 8: Sweeping, extreme wide shots of Finland’s beautiful, snow-covered rural landscape were what set apart Suden Arvoitus, or Mystery Of The Wolf, a Finnish film screened on Monday as part of the ongoing Windows on Europe film festival.
Shown at the Goethe-Institut here, the 2006 film, shot on 35mm and directed by Raimo O Niemi, tells the story of a girl, Salla, played by Tiia Talvisara, growing up in rural Finland.
Adopted at a young age when her father dies in a freak fishing accident, which causes her biological mother to go into a state of deep shock, she is raised by a policeman and his wife as their own daughter.
Salla has a close affinity with nature, and when poachers threaten to shoot wolf cubs -- prized for their fur -- she does whatever she can to save the young animals, rushing against time to get to the cubs before the poachers do.
Along the way, Salla faces emotional upheavals, as her biological mother returns to their native village after a decade, while her adoptive mother is about to give birth.
Suden Arvoitus is a charming look at rural Finnish life, beautifully shot by cinematographer Kari Sohlberg, though the only criticism this writer had was that the narrative seemed to jump too suddenly at places and the antagonist, Vanesmaa, played by Peter Franzen, was a bit of a caricature. But these are forgivable lapses, as one was so immersed in the marvellous scenery that plot holes seemed almost irrelevant.
British film On A Clear Day was also screened. The festival will continue till May 16.
