Love and fury

Synopsis

Love and fury is a story of wild, strong, all-changing love. In Helsinki in the early 1980s, a city pulsating with young, rebellious energy, two literary giants – Inka and Juhana – ready for world conquest fall in love. Inka finds her soul mate, becomes liberated and empowered, publishes a daring debut novel and grows into a celebrated writer. The intense relationship has the opposite effect on Juhana, whose grip on his own writing and ultimately on his life begins to slip at an accelerating pace. At the height of love, Inka begins to suspect that their mad love is really madness.

The film is set in 1980-1981, when the punk movement and the new wave had arrived in Finland and young artists were frantically searching for their place in society. They wanted to break away from the politically stale attitudes of the 1970s and challenge the baby boomers. On the barricades of this upheaval, two young debut writers met and experienced a brief but passionate love affair, beautiful but also harsh.

Alli Haapasalo, director and screenwriter
Alli Haapasalo is a Finnish film director and screenwriter. Haapasalo rose to fame with Kukkulan Kuningas, her final project at New York University's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts. The story of a mercenary returning to Finland from around the world won several awards in the US and was nominated for the Prix Europa in 2012. Other films by Haapasalo include short film festival favourite Ilona, New York-based fantasy The Appointment, documentary Dear Mom, Love James and drama Hurricane, Brooklyn. Alli Haapasalo holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film Directing from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Department of Film and Stage Design at the School of Art and Design (now Aalto University School of Art and Design). Haapasalo wrote the screenplay for his debut feature Syysprinss based on the original work by Anja Kauranen-Snellman. His next feature film will be a documentary on the history of Little Two, and two feature-length drama films are also in development.

Director's statement
If life is just a shadow passing by, what is the great love affair of youth? A heartbreaking and forgettable story of egos that betrayed each other? Or a magical turning point where your whole life is irrevocably changed? For my main characters, it is both. Love and madness run hand in hand as Inka and Juhana leap into the most intense experience of their young lives. The film is the story of their relationship, full of rage and love.

Director's selected filmography
Love and fury (Finland 2016, drama, 94 min)
Hurricane, Brooklyn (USA 2015, drama, 20 min)
Kukkulan Kuningas (Finland 2009, drama, 60 min)
The Appointment (USA 2006, fantasy, 11 min)
Dear Mom, Love James (USA 2005, documentary, 11 min)
Breath (USA 2004, drama, 5 min)
Ilona (Finland 2003, comedy, 30 min)

ROLES INCLUDE:
LAURA BIRN
LAURI TILKANEN
JOHANNES HOLOPAINEN
OLAVI UUSIVIRTA
PAULA VESALA
SARA MELLERI
AKU SIPOLA
LAURI TANSKANEN
TIINA WECKSTRÖM
KAIJA PAKARINEN
JOHANNES BROTHERUS
PAAVO WESTERBERG
KRISTO SALMINEN