The Ladies of Seven Brothers

Seven Brothers, authored by Finland’s national author Aleksis Kivi in 1870, is widely considered to be the most important novel in Finnish history. In this critically lauded work, Riina Katajavuori gives the story a modern – and distinctively feminine – spin that, in spite of its clever allusions, doesn’t require knowledge of Kivi’s original work. She throws a classic into a blender.

All the guys are crazy about 17-year-old Wenla Männistö, who is whole-heartedly enjoying her youth. Her mother is the practical but enigmatic midwife Marja Männistö. Alli Jukola, the mother of seven, contemplates the past while lounging on the edge of a cloud. We also hear from straight-talking washer Kajsa Rajamäki and Ansku Seunala, who believes in angels. All the while, the slacker brothers of Jukola trade bad jokes in front of the TV.