Dir: Jukka Kärkkäinen
Finland 2009, 74 minutes
A wonderfully odd documentary shot in the homes of six men, most of them reinforcing Finnish stereotypes by being taciturn, melancholy or fond of a drink. The camera sits across the room from them, rarely moving, and the filmmakers must have clocked up hundreds of hours with their subjects in order to capture so much intimacy and comedy - particularly in the scenes involving Tero, a tender-hearted slob grappling with the prospect of fatherhood.
Showing with Seeds of the Fall (dir: Patrik Eklund, 17 minutes), a prize-winning Swedish short with a similar, absurd sense of humour.
www.thelivingroomofthenation.com
© Flatpack Festival 2010