Spring Break

The mother of a family is in the hospital, sick with the coronavirus. The quarantine and worrying about the mother have driven the family apart. The teenage children just stare at their phones and computer screens until their dad forces them to take a hike in the woods. They leave their phones in the car and get lost. It is, however, the best thing that could happen to them, as they find each other looking for the way back to their car.

Director: Aleksi Salmenperä
Length: 17:03
Country: Finland
Language: Finnish
Year: 2020

Additional Info

Director Biography: Aleksi Salmenpera (b. 1973) is one of the most acclaimed and distinctive Finnish filmmakers, whose films have premiered in major film festivals. Salmenperä is a graduate of the University of Art and Design Helsinki and he's also studied architectural studies at University of Technology in Helsinki. Whilst studying in Helsinki Film School, Salmenperä directed two short films named "Trespassing" (1998) and "Ferry-go-around" (2001). "Trespassing" received a Jameson Short Film Award and so Salmenperä was the first Finnish person to receive such an award. All together, Salmenperä's short films won 15 awards and "Ferry-go-around" was also selected to Cannes Film Festival in 2001. One year later in 2002, Salmenperä received the Cinefondation (Cannes FF) scholarship. Salmenperä's first feature film called "Producing Adults was nominated for seven Jussi-awards and chosen as the Finnish submission for the Oscar-nominee in the year 2004. "Producing Adults" won the FIPRESCI Prize at Stockholm Film Festival and it was also nominated in Marrakech's and Tallinn's Film Festivals. After hist first feature film in 2004, Salmenperä has directed and written several other feature films. Salmenperä directed his second feature film in 2007 by the name "A Man's Job" and it was the second time Salmenperä was chosen as the Finnish submission for the Oscar-nominee. In the year of 2007, Salmenperä was also chosen as the Best Director by the Finnish Film Directors Guild. Besided "Producing Adults" and "A Man's Job", Salmenperä has directed and wirtten feature films, documentaries and short films such as: "Bad Family" (2009), "The Investigation" (2012), "Distractions" (2015), "The Mine" (2016), "Every Other Couple" (2016) and "Void" (2018). "Bad Family" premiered at the Berlin Film festival and the film won the main prize at Cinema Tous Ecrans Film Festival at geneva in 2010. Salmenperä's documentary "Alcan Highway" premiered at HotDocs and it received a nomination for the best Finnish documentary in 2013. The comedy feature film "Distractions" won a total of three Jussi-Awards for Best Directing, Best Editing, and Best Male Actor. Also, Salmenperä's latest feature film "Void" won four national awards including Best Film and Best Direcor ajd in addition it has won two awards at Moscow IFF in 2019. Aleksi Salmenperä has a vast production also including TV-series such as "Free Fall" (2000), "Pioneer" (2006) and "Helsingin Herra" (2012). "Pioneer" won the Special Prix-Europa for Best TV Series in 2006 and "Helsingin Herra" won a Venla Prize for Best Director in 2012. At the very moment, Aleksi Salmenperä has a TV series called "White Wall" in post-production and it will premiere later this year's fall.

Producer: Anu Hukka
Writer: Laura Immonen, Aleksi Salmenperä
Cast: Amos Brotherus, Tommi Korpela, Eedit Patrakka