Movies
Paavo Westerberg
The Violin Player (Viulisti)
2018 Finland
125 min •
Finnish.
K12
Theme: Rokumentti selection
15.11.2018 | Time 21:15
| Venue: Tapio 4
| BUY TICKET
A first-rate Finnish drama about violins, power and responsibility
The Violin Player is the directorial debut of Paavo Westerberg who is known for his previous work in acting and screenwriting. Karin Nordström (Matleena Kuusniemi) is a leading violinist who loses the sensitivity in her fingers after a traffic accident. Since playing the violin is no longer possible for Karin, she ends up teaching promising young talents. Antti (Olavi Uusivirta) in particular catches Karin’s attention and soon their student-teacher relationship moves towards the gray area of power relations. Although Karin’s husband (Samuli Edelmann) and ex-lover (The Bridge’s Kim Bodnia) are also entangled in this web of relationships, The Violin Player is not solely a romantic drama: ambition and the pursuit for perfection form the core of story. Must one sacrifice everything for music? Can a teacher live through her student?
For his role, Olavi Uusivirta practised the violin for six months in order to make his hand movements believable in the film. The Violin Player is a feast for the ears and the eyes; a quality drama that should definitely be experienced on the big screen.
