Urho Kekkonen

A different history of the Cold War: how Estonians under Soviet tyranny began to feel the breeze of freedom when a group of anonymous dreamers successfully used improbable methods to capture the Finnish television signal, a window into Western popular culture, brave but harmless warriors who helped change the fate of an entire nation.

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Moonshine Village is a story about producing moonshine in Kitee, Finland, and its effect on the village's social and economic development between 1960-70. For most families producing Moonshine was a prerequisite. Kitee became one of the most remarkable producers - both in good and bad. According to an 85-year old police officer, in the 1960s there were no villages that were not producing Moonshine. Yet, the city mayor of Kitee says that this time has been the most creative time in the town's history.

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Nine Ways to Approach Helsinki, shot by Pirjo Honkasalo and Eero Salmenhaara, is a documentary on the capital of Finland.

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A documentary focusing on the career of the academic and researcher Kustaa Vilkuna.

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A documentary following a day in Urho Kekkonen's life as the president of Finland.

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A film documenting the exorbitant 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire, held in October 1971, organized by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and attended by leaders from around the world.

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Finnish documentary film.

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Building and launching the cruise ship M/S Finlandia

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Risto Jarva's short documentary on housing in Helsinki in the late 1960's.

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The documentary, intended as an election film, covers the key events of Urho Kekkonen's first presidential term. The President of the Republic of Finland makes state visits all over the world and travels frequently in Finland. The President's spouse Sylvi Kekkonen is also featured in the documentary. The President also comes to Tampere in July 1961, when King Olav of Norway visits Finland. President Kekkonen's first term was a time of many crises, but they are not really featured in the film. Instead, the ending is heartwarming: Urho picks a fallen autumn leaf from the ground and hands it to Sylvi.

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Independence Day celebrations at the Finnish presidential palace December 6, 1960.

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President Kekkonen's skiing trip in January 1957 begins in Taipalsaari. From there, the President skis towards Puumala along the frozen Lake Saimaa. From Puumala the journey continues to Ryhälä and from there on to Sulkava and Savonlinna. Another of the President's ski trips was recorded by film cameras in late winter 1957 in Kainuu.

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Urho Kekkonen assumed the office of President of the Republic of Finland on 1.3.1956. J. K. Paasikivi hands over the duties of President to Urho Kekkonen, who states that he will follow Paasikivi's policy and humbly accept the duties of President. On the same day, a general strike declared by the The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) also began.

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Before his political career, Urho Kekkonen (1900–1986) was an athlete on the national level. Later he served as head of the Finnish Olympic Committee. The earliest film fragments of Kekkonen can be found in sports films, where he visits the Finland-England and Finland-France national athletics matches in 1933 and the Finnish Athletics Championships in 1938.

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