Funny, forlorn, and irresistibly charming, Juho Kuosmanen’s assured debut feature won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes Film Festival in 2016. It’s inspired by the true story of Finland’s most successful boxer of the 1960s. Shot in black and white with scrupulous attention to period detail, the film centres on the prelude to Mäki’s (Jarkko Lahti’s) historic fight in Helsinki with American Davey Moore, the bantamweight champion of the world. Full of trenchant commentary about the sports industry and, by extension, the entertainment industry, it’s also a film about identity and romance.
The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki
Directed by Juho Kuosmanen