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Tom of Finland

Australian Premiere
Tom of Finland
Special Event
18+ (exemption)
English, German and Finnish with English subtitles
Finland | Biography/Drama | 2017 | 115'
Director: Dome Karukoski
Cast: Pekka Strang, Lauri Tilkanen, Jessica Grabowsky, Jakob Oftebro, Werner Daehn

One of Finland’s most acclaimed directors, Dome Karukoski (Heart of a Lion, Scandi FF 2014) won the FIPRESCI Prize at Göteborg this year for this superb biography of the man behind the iconic signature ‘Tom of Finland’, which became a notorious emblem of an entire generation of men, and a globally identified symbol of their freedom and sexual liberation.

After suffering from the trauma of WWII, Touko Laaksonen (Pekka Strang, Armi Alive! Scandi FF 2015) finds no peace at home in Finland, a country where homosexuality is illegal. With the help of his sister (Jessica Grabowsky, Midnight Sun), Touko finds work in an advertising agency, but becomes worn down by his inability to express his desires. Touko spends his nights drawing his fantasies instead; men with strong jawlines, clad in uniform and - frequently - leather. The sketches eventually draw worldwide attention, though not without an escalating risk of persecution…

A worthy and humane homage to one of Finland's most unorthodox international heroes, this striking and compelling production is an essential portrait of artistic defiance and rebellion.

An understated portrait of a tumescent talent.
Hollywood Reporter
It's handsome, smoothly executed and eager to entertain.
Variety
Inspires through its command of visual storytelling.
Slant
WINNER
FIPRESCI Prize, Göteborg Film Festival 2017
NOMINATED
Jury Award for Best International Narrative Feature, Tribeca Film Festival 2017