Veijo Hietala: Sex in the Finnish Cinema (lecture)

In the lecture series "Sexuality on Screen" by the Film Society of the Helsinki Students' Association. Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 12 Feb 2010.

With a great sense of humour Veijo Hietala started from early cinema (Sylvi, 1913), proceeded to the studio era (The Vagabond Waltz, 1940), discussed the train piston innuendo in Hannu Leminen's The Beautiful Inkeri of the Railway Yard (1950), examined the special case of Teuvo Tulio, noted the natural nudity (not necessarily sexual) in traditional Finnish cinema, and proceeded via the 1960s (A Cone Under My Back, 1966) to the present day, where in Hietala's opinion there is now less sex since the frank and popular The Restless (2000). Hietala wondered also whether American puritanism about nudity has influenced Finns. Hietala, donning his trademark beret, impressed the audience with analogue technology, complete with overhead projector sheets and samples from a vhs tape.