THE SOUTH

THE SOUTH is a story of crime, betrayal, love and sunshine. A film that crosses genres in a controlled way, it is defined as a romantic thriller whose true events are laughable only because they don't happen to you.

The film was shot mainly in over six weeks in Mallorca between May and June 2000. The film crew had occasional difficulties with the local production company, but the work was completed on schedule. The opening and closing scenes of the film required an additional seven days of shooting in the outskirts of the capital region. The cinema distributor in Finland was Buena Vista International Finland. The film received production support from the Finnish Film Foundation. TV2 got the domestic Television broadcasting rights and the film was also shown on Canal+. The video distributor is Buena Vista International Home Entertainment. The film premiered in Finland on 1 December 2000. It was shown in cinemas to 70 000 people.

Synopsis

A criminal gang robs a jewellery shop in Helsinki and escapes with their loot. Twelve years later, dentist Jussi (Juha Veijonen) goes on holiday to Mallorca with his wife Lena (Outi Mäenpää) and two terror kids named Tero (Karri Termonen and Ossi Tikkanen). Jussi and Lena's idea is to spice up their marriage, which has been diluted by everyday life. Surprisingly, it turns out that a former partner in crime and a lover, the Estonian Siiri (Kärt Tomingas), is working as a housekeeper at the resort. Siiri begins to attract the man again, who is forced to neglect his wife, who is bored with the marriage. But a local Finn, a slick businessman-restaurateur (Samuli Edelmann), keeps on trying, and Lena's holiday is not too boring either.

Siiri has the woman's tricks to put pressure on the man, but what's the result? Will Jussi come to his senses? Is the time for deceit over? Is the grass greener for Lena on the other side of the fence? Will the Teros ever learn to be nice? Is the Caribbean a place of new beginnings? Will the story have a happy ending?

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't...

ROLES INCLUDE:
Jussi – Juha Veijonen
Lena – Outi Mäenpää
Siiri – Kärt Tomingas
Samuli – Samuli Edelmann
Big Tero, 10 yrs – Karri Termonen
Little Tero, 8 yrs – Ossi Tikkanen
Portfolio man – Pekka Huotari
Boss – Tapio Kouki
Goldsmith shop salesman – Asko Sarkola
Bar owner – Vesa Mäkelä
Dentist – Tiina Pirhonen
Airport clerk – Nora Lähteenmäki
Tour guide – Kari Hietalahti
Jenny – Meri-Kris Jaama
Waiter – Jaume Mas Gomis
Manuel – Antonio Oviedo
Hotel receptionist – Igor Legube
Jewellery shop assistant – Adrián Ingold
Jenny's mother – Jonna Järnefelt
Voice of the newsreader – Leena Kaskela

PREMIERE IN FINLAND
1.12.2000

DIRECTOR
Aleksi Mäkelä

PRODUCER
Markus Selin

SCRIPT
Venla Mäkelä

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Pini Hellstedt

SET DESIGN
Risto Karhula

SOUND DESIGN
Jyrki Rahkonen

MUSIC
Hannu Korkeamäki

EDITOR
Kimmo Taavila