The Finnish New Wave as a transnational phenomenon

The Finnish New Wave of the 1960s operated more as a network of independent filmmakers rather than as a conscious and relatively cohesive movement like the French Nouvelle Vague. Young directors challenged conventions of the studio system and the mainstream with both experimental social critiques and ‘liberated’ explorations of youth. The Finnish New Wave shares much with its international counterparts, including the relevant themes and experimental stylistic approaches of the films. Yet this relationship does not imply a simplistic model of cultural imposition, but rather a more reflexive form of dialogue with international counterparts. Directors were certainly inspired by international cinematic movements, but would innovate and adapt elements based on both idiosyncratic preferences and the conventions still structuring Finnish cinema. To unpack the ways in which these film directors engaged with international forms of cultural expression, the chapter focuses on key works by Maunu Kurkvaara, Mikko Niskanen, Risto Jarva and Jörn Donner.With Finland’s intriguing political placement between East and West, along with the high portion of film history preserved in Finnish archives, this thoroughly contextualized multidisciplinary analysis of Finnish film history serves as an illuminating case study of the transnational aspects of small nation cinemas