Nordic Film Series

It’s quite likely many Copper Country residents remember that big day in August 1976, when Finland’s president, Urho Kekkonen, visited Hancock. A presidential visit is a big deal, and a pending presidential visit to a small community is the plot of the February showing of the Nordic Film Series.

On February 14, the Finnish American Heritage Center will show the 2013 comedy Kekkonen Tulee (Kekkonen’s Coming) at 2 p.m. in the Martha Wiljanen Community Hall. The film centers around a Lapland community’s anticipation over an expected visit by then-President Kekkonen. The rumor mill in that small village in the 1970s is operating at full capacity and this community’s preparations are varied and not always what one would expect. Comedic antics ensue as everyone’s personal agendas rise to the surface.  It’s a fictional film, and Kekkonen himself doesn’t appear on camera, but it’s a movie sure to evoke memories of Kekkonen’s 1976 Hancock visit for those who were able to be there.

“Kekkonen tulee” is about an hour and a half long, and is in Finnish with English subtitles. Some subject matter is not for younger or sensitive audiences; viewer discretion is advised.

The film is open to the public; donations are appreciated. For further information, call the Heritage Center at (906) 487-7549.