Actress Paula Vesala attending April 27
A tender-hearted coming-of-age story shot in a low-key, realist style, this Finnish dramedy centers on a resourceful adolescent raised by an immature single mother who decides to track down her biological father. Varpu is 12 years old and small for her age; although she may not be as physically developed as other girls, she is mature and independent beyond her years. Indeed, it’s her mother that behaves in an inappropriately child-like manner: crying when she can’t pass her driver’s test, clambering into her daughter’s bed when she feels sad and lonely and complaining about her life rather than asking Varpu about hers. She can’t even remember her daughter’s birthday. Yearning for a less self-centered parent, one night Varpu decides to go find her dad. But even though she can act like an adult, it doesn’t mean she has an adult’s understanding of the world.
Director’s Biography
Selma Vilhunen (b. 1976) is a director and screenwriter of both fiction and documentary films. She graduated from the Turku Polytechnic / Arts Academy in film directing. Her filmography includes Pieta (TV film) and Pony Girls (documentary). Little Wing marks her first fiction feature.
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