“A true and tender portrait of female adolescence (IndieWire) — screening at Scandinavia House on August 9, see the hit new Finnish film Girl Picture /Tytöt tytöt tytöt (dir. Alli Haapasalo, Finland, 2022) ahead of its theatrical release on August 12! Director Alli Haapasalo will be present for a film talk and Q&A following the screening.

In this coming-of-age dramedy from the director of Force of Habit and Love & Fury, best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö have each other’s backs, always, aspiring for adventurous lives filled with experiences and passion. Emma, on the contrary, has given her whole life to figure skating — nothing gets between her and success. But when the girls meet, life opens new paths that send them rocketing in new directions. While Mimmi and Emma find themselves experiencing the earth-moving effects of true love, Rönkkö is on a quest to find pleasure. As new bonds form and others are tested over the course of three successive Fridays, the girls must navigate the complex paths of teenage desire. (100 min. In Finnish & French with English subtitles)

“Haapasalo clearly understands that, when you’re young, desire can feel confusing or gratifying, thrilling or overwhelming…an affecting achievement that never feels less than loving”—The Film Stage

Girl Picture opens theatrically on August 12 at IFC Center and other theaters.

This screening will take place in Victor Borge Hall; 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.

About the Director

Alli Haapasalo (b. 1977) is a Finnish director and writer. With her third feature film Girl Picture she continues her passion to tell strong female driven stories. Haapasalo’s feature debut Love and Fury (2016) followed a writer finding her own voice. Force of Habit (2019) – written and directed by a collective of seven writer-directors – dealt with gender bias and structural misuse of power. It traveled the world bringing home some awards and received Jussi-nominations (Finnish Film Awards) for best film, best directing and best screenplay, and was given the Nordisk Film Award in 2020.

Haapasalo wrote and directed short film Doing the Right Thing (2020) about the early stages of covid-19 pandemic for HBO Nordic’s series At Home. She has also directed episodes for spy thriller series Shadowlines (2019). Alli Haapasalo has a BA from Aalto University’s School of Film, Television and Scenography, and an MFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.