THE HAPPIEST DAY IN THE LIFE OF OLLI MÄKI
Film - Open Air | Rocky and Friends Filmfest 2018

THE HAPPIEST DAY IN THE LIFE OF OLLI MÄKI

Directed by Juho Kuosmanen

Info

Director: Juho Kuosmanen
Section: Open Air | Rocky and Friends
Country: Germany, Sweden, Finland
Year: 2016
PT: DER GLÜCKLICHSTE TAG IM LEBEN DES OLLI MÄKI
OT: HYMYILEVÄ MIES
Language: Finnish
Version: Original version with German subtitles
Cast: Jarkko Lahti, Oona Airola, Eero Milonoff
6+

Logline

THE HAPPIEST DAY IN THE LIFE OF OLLI MÄKI

It's rare to have a boxing movie without a love story, if only to show how the harshness of the sport clashes with the tenderness of relationships. From the very beginning, feelings are at the helm of Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen's feature-film debut. Olli Mäki has just fallen for Raija and is losing interest in boxing. How unfortunate that, as one of Finland's most talented pugilists, he has to take on an American boxer at the championship in Helsinki! His manager is trying to push him to his limits. It's 1962 and the media hype is one more challenge for the reluctant Olli to deal with. Raiji even helps with the training by riding a bike in front of the boxers. But the focus on training is bad for the relationship. On top of it all, Olli struggles to lose weight before the big day. Director Kuosmanen does a fantastic job of showing nuances in human behavior. This black-and-white film, his first, is a laconic, gently humorous, anti-boxing romance that gently hits exactly the right spots. THE HAPPIEST DAY IN THE LIFE OF OLLI MÄKI had its world premiere in Cannes in 2016 and its German premiere at FILMFEST MÜNCHEN. It was nominated by Finland the following year as that country's entry for best foreign film at the Oscars. It didn't win an award, but life isn't about winning; it's rather about all the things that truly make us happy.

Meet the director

THE HAPPIEST DAY IN THE LIFE OF OLLI MÄKI

Juho Kuosmanen

Juho Kuosmanen, b. 1979, attended Aalto University's School of Arts, Design and Architecture in Helsinki, graduating in 2014. His short films have won numerous prizes at festivals including Cannes Cinéfondation and Locarno. Kuosmanen has also acted and directed for the stage, working with the avant-garde ensemble West Coast Kokkola Opera. THE HAPPIEST DAY IN THE LIFE OF OLLI MÄKI is his first feature film.

Credits

Screenplay: Mikko Myllylahti, Juho Kuosmanen
Director of Photography: J-P Passi
Film Editor: Jussi Rautaniemi
Composer: Miika Snare
Production Designer: Kari Kankanpää
Costume Design: Sari Suominen
Sound: Pietu Korhonen
Producer: Jussi Rantamäki
Production Company: Aamu Filmcompany Ltd.
Co-Producer: Sol Bondy, Jamila Wenske, Nicklas Wikström-Nicastro, Katarina Krave, Simon Perry
Co-Production Company: One Two Films GmbH, Tre Vänner Produktion AB, Film Väst AB
World Sales: Les Films Du Losagne
Distributor: Camino Filmverleih GmbH