A hostage-taker makes himself editor-in-chief of a Finnish newspaper to expose the nefarious goings-on of the banking sector. Gripping thriller highlight from the "Bordertown" makers.
Who thinks of our Scandinavian neighbors only "Nordic Noir", will be surprised at the bright light in which "title heroine" Helsinki may shine here. Even with the latent laconic lethargics of a Kaurismäki, the characters of "Bordertown" - makers Oikkonen (script) and Syrjä (direction) have little to do. Elias (Peter Franzén), whose father was as much a victim of nefarious banks as his company, violently takes the reins of action into his own hands. He mines the editorial office of a newspaper, takes four journalists hostage at gunpoint and forces them to write about the capital system, of which the entire middle class is a victim along with him. So far, so classic
thriller material. Its anti-capitalist thrust, however, intensifies to the extent that abductees (and viewers) begin to sympathize with the hostage-taker. You don't need to be in Stockholm for that, you just need well-written characters. And exciting twists and turns that carry the Finnish
German co-production even over the duration of eight episodes.
After the screening: Q&A with the cast
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