THE EARTH IS A SINFUL SONG
(MAA ON SYNTINEN LAULU)
aka THE LAND OF OUR ANCESTORS
Dir. Rauni Mollberg, 1973
Finland, 108 min
In Finnish with English subtitles
WARNING: GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF LIVE ANIMAL VIOLENCE AND DEATH
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 – 10 PM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 – 7:30 PM
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16 – 5 PM
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21 – MIDNIGHT
AN ARCHAIC WORLD OF SEX, DEATH, VIOLENCE, AND RELIGIOUS MADNESS
Spectacle is proud to present rare screenings of EARTH IS A SINFUL SONG, virtually unknown outside its native Finland, as part of our annual ANTI-VALENTINES February program.
In the breathtaking remote wilds of northern Finland, 19-year-old Martta Mäkelä lays about naked, ignoring the harsh realities of life in her village of Siskonranta. Her world is turned upside-down when she falls in love with Oula, a wandering reindeer herder. Their erotic explorations lead to pregnancy, igniting the village’s scorn and a religious backlash. As Martta transitions from girlhood to womanhood, the story also captures a year in the life of Siskonranta and its inhabitants, highlighting the beautiful warmth of blossoming, bloody young sexuality against the earthy, unforgiving cold of 1940s postwar Lapland.
Based on the novel of the same name by controversial Finnish author Timo K. Mukka and helmed by famous television director Rauni Mollberg, EARTH IS A SINFUL SONG was produced under extreme conditions during Finland’s “darkest period of cinema.” At a time when few Finnish movies found success, it was the country’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 46th Academy Awards, and it eventually became one of the best-selling titles in Finnish film history.
Special thanks to Eira Mollberg, Timo Kinnunen, Tommi Partanen, the National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI), and the Finnish Film Archive for their blessings, provisions, and assistance.