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155 mins
This biographical film celebrates the little-known life of the Finnish novelist and revolutionary Maiju Lassila (Asko Sarkola), born in 1868. Lassila's early years are briefly shown, then the film richly details his active and paradoxically reclusive adult life, beginning with his sojourn in St. Petersburg, working as a businessman. Unable to stay away from politics, he caused the assassination of a high-ranking Czarist and as a result, had to run back to Finland to hide. Once established in the comparative safety of a small village, he taught school in order to support his real vocation as a writer. Always living on the edge of poverty, if not square in the middle of it, Lassila continues to avoid public contact - he keeps his identity low-key and camoflages it by publishing under a variety of pseudonyms.
Kari Franck
Gunnar Avanto
Ari Suonsuu
Kalle
Ritva Juhanto
Kurttuska
Heikki Alho
Pikku-Pouvali
Tuomo Railo
Sulo Esempio
Soli Labbart
Maria Lassila
Pirkka Karskela
Young Algot
Markku Blomqvist
Lundberg
Esa Suvilehto
Pöntinen
Gunvor Sandkvist
Anna Belostotskaja
Pentti Kotkaniemi
Russian Army Captain
Antero Harpf
Rebel officer
Esko Pesonen
Chief editor
Arno Virtanen
Circus manager
Vitali Iljin-Shapiro
Terrorist
Jan Kulik
Terrorist
Toivo Tuomainen
Oskari Skoff
Mauno Blomqvist
Ploughman (uncredited)
Mauri Front
News photographer (uncredited)
Pentti Louko
Orthodox priest (uncredited)
Esko Salmesvirta
Algot's father (uncredited)
Rauha Wolska
Restaurant hostess (uncredited)
Paul Jyrälä
Production Sound Mixer
Pekka Lehto
Director
A. Ksenofontova
Production Design
Pentti Valkeasuo
Production Design
Reijo Puttonen
Production Design
Inkeri Terävä
Makeup Artist
Heikki Valpola
Original Music Composer
Pekka Sirén
Sound Effects
Daniel Katz
Writer
Irma Taina
Editor
Lars Klettner
Sound Mixer
Maiju Lassila
Novel
Antero Honkanen
Sound Effects
Kari Sohlberg
Director of Photography
Päivi Tiura
Costume Design
Kristiina Valkeasuo
Makeup Designer
Sven Fahlén
Sound Mixer
Claes Olsson
Producer