The Eternal Road (film)


The Eternal Road is a 2017 drama film, based on a novel by Antti Tuuri, who also co-wrote the screenplay. The film was directed by Antti-Jussi Annila and starred Tommi Korpela, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Irina Björklund and Ville Virtanen.
The film was edited and shot in Estonia in lieu of locations in Karelia. This was also the last film Lembit Ulfsak acted in before his death on 22 March 2017.

Plot

Jussi Ketola, a Finnish man, returns from America trying to escape from the Great Depression. He finds his country in great political turmoil. One night, Ketola is abducted from his home by nationalists and is forced to walk the Eternal Road towards Soviet Russia.

Cast

Jessica Kiang from Variety gave the film a bad review and writing: "It’s hard to warm to Ketola as the kind of hero who could warrant such epic storytelling. Much is made, at the outset, of his overweening desire to get back to his Finnish family. But then he has his candles lit by Sara, and suddenly they’re in church baptizing their newborn. And a title tells us this is only 1932, and so Ketola appears to have pined for his Finnish wife and kids for mere months, before establishing a new family on the farm."
The film was nominated in 13 categories at the 2018 Jussi Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.

Accolades

The Eternal Road garnered thirteen nominations, which was the greatest amount for that year at Jussi Awards. :w:et:Kalju Kivi|Kalju Kivi is the first Estonian in the Jussi Awards history to have won.
YearAward / Film FestivalCategoryRecipientResult
2018Jussi AwardsBest FilmIlkka Matila
2018Jussi AwardsBest DirectorAntti-Jussi Annila
2018Jussi AwardsBest ActorTommi Korpela
2018Jussi AwardsBest Supporting ActorHannu-Pekka Björkman
2018Jussi AwardsBest Supporting ActressSidse Babett Knudsen
2018Jussi AwardsBest ScriptAntti Tuuri, Antti-Jussi Annila, Aku Louhimies
2018Jussi AwardsBest CinematographyRauno Ronkainen
2018Jussi AwardsBest EditingTambet Tasuja
2018Jussi AwardsBest Set DesignKalju Kivi
2018Jussi AwardsBest Costume DesignEugen Tamberg
2018Jussi AwardsBest Makeup DesignRiikka Virtanen
2018Jussi AwardsBest MusicIan Person, Kalle Gustafsson Järneholm, Panu Aaltio, Tuomas Kantelinen
2018Jussi AwardsBest Sound DesignFredrik Dalenfjäll