Guys' turn - Miesten vouro

A movie "Miesten vuoro" is a Finnish candidate to Oscar. Since the weather is nowadays quite rainy it was not a bad idea to go to cinema. My Finnish still isn't perfect but I was hoping that maybe they don't talk too much and I can get the point. They did talk quite a lot, however. I really had to focus to understand something. I think I have partially succeeded.

Spoiler warning! If you want to watch the movie and discover it for yourself do not read any further!

The movie was a documentary. In short sections different men told about their lives, what kind of painful experiences they have been through. The environment is always sauna or some facilities/fresh air before/after sauna. Men are moved when they tell their stories, they cry. If there are male witnesses they are also moved by stories they hear, but they seem to feel awkward, don't know how to react, what to say. It is indeed difficult to say anything to a person who lost his/her child, for example, as one of the man did.

I saw this movie as a voice in a discussion of "maleness" stereotype. It is quite natural point of view in Finland that men should never show any signs of fragility, weakness nor exhibit emotions. Those who are in the documentary say themselves that they should be strong, shouldn't be so emotional. They are helpless in the face of cruel experiences they had to go through, they don't know how to cope. Nobody has ever thought them how to deal with a loss of somebody they love, they "only" should be strong and supportive.

I read this movie also as a male turn to talk. Usually - according to stereotype - it is women who are more open to talk and share their experiences and emotions. It was good to hear men talking.

And the last but not least remark - the lonliness of men suffering seemed to be highlighted by pictures of nature: uninhabited vast lands, forests covered with snow, mists over a river, the one and only tree on the horizon... Typical Finnish landscapes and mind/soul landscapes of Finns at the same time - full of life but harsh at the same time.

Anyway I did enjoy this movie a lot and I can recommend it. Not a holywood style movie at all :) I hope you'll enjoy it as well.