On April 13, join us for a presentation of the new film Helene, based on true events in the life of Finland’s most acclaimed painter Helene Schjerfbeck, at Scandinavia House! This theatrical screening will take place at Scandinavia House and will be accompanied by a virtual screening from Friday April 8 through 17; click here for details.

In 1915 Helene Schjerfbeck (Laura Birn) is a forgotten artist, living in the Finnish countryside with her elderly mother. Years have passed without any exhibitions, and she continues to paint only for her own passion, not for glory. Everything changes when an art dealer discovers Helene and her unseen 159 paintings; amazed by her outstanding talent, he decides to prepare a huge solo exhibition for her in the capital Helsinki. When he also introduces her to the forester and amateur painter Einar Reuter, a great admirer of Helene’s work, she also finds herself falling in love with her new confidante. But when the exhibition is an enormous success with critics, Helene’s joy is complicated by the discovery that Reuter has become engaged to someone else. With the help of her friend Helene Westermarck, she must learn to become an even more independent woman while remaining an artist ahead of her time. Directed by Antti J. Jokinen (Finland, 2020. 122 min. In Finnish with English subtitles)

This screening will take place in Victor Borge Hall; please select the in-house ticket option at checkout to attend in person. Attendees are required to follow all Scandinavia House safety protocols, including wearing masks during the program and observing social distancing rules in signage. Please read our full safety protocols here.

See a trailer and film talk with Laura Birn & Antti Jokinen:

About the Director

Antti J. Jokinen directed The Resident (2011), Purge (2012), The Midwife (2015) and Flowers of Evil (2016). Jokinen was nominated for the Jussi Award for Best Director for Purge, which was also an Oscar nominee from Finland. He won the Shanghai International Film Festival Grand Prix for Best Direction in his film Flowers of Evil. Helene is the third part of Jokinen’s trilogy.