The best Taisto Oksanen’s movies

Touko Laaksonen, a decorated officer, returns home after a harrowing and heroic experience serving his country in World War II, but life in Finland during peacetime proves equally distressing. He finds peace-time Helsinki rampant with persecution of the homosexual and men around him even being pressured to marry women and have children. Touko finds refuge in his liberating art, specialising in homoerotic drawings of muscular men, free of inhibitions. His work – made famous by his signature ‘Tom of Finland’ – became the emblem of a generation of men and fanned the flames of a gay revolution.

Directed by Heikki Kujanpää, Falling Angels (2008) is based on a play of the same name by Kujanpää, Sami Parkkinen and Heikki Huttu-Hiltunen and Aila Meriluoto's book about his colleague and spouse, the poet Lauri Viita. The film tells the stormy love story of Viita (Tommi Korpela) and Meriluoto (Elina Knihtilä) from the perspective of their imaginary daughter Helena (Elena Leeve).

Every nation gets the heroes it deserves. A man with a special blood type is used as a device for human doping athletes skiing national team.

Documentary film about Arndt Pekurinen and the peace movement in the early 20th century. Pekurinen spoke out for pacifism, conscientious objection and peace, and received support for his actions around the world. However, his worldview collided with the nationalist and militaristic atmosphere of the era in Finland. He was considered a troublemaker, a traitor, and a caricature of masculinity. The film is a universal and timeless account of a man persecuted for his opinions. At the same time, it is a description of the weak tolerance of young independent Finland towards dissidents. Pekurinen was executed during the Continuation War by his compatriots on November 5, 1941.