Cross of Love
cert TBC
A little seen gem by the master of excessive melodrama, Teuvo Tulio. When a handsome shipwrecked stranger washes ashore near an isolated lighthouse, he convinces the lighthouse keeper’s daughter Riita to accompany him back to the city for one evening only. Once there, she soon falls under the corrupting influence of the decadent metropolis.
With high-contrast expressionist cinematography, and an expressive performance from frequent Tulio collaborator and muse Regina Linnanheimo, it is easy to see why this extravagant tale of a fallen woman is considered one of Tulio’s finest films. Though his work remains rarely screened outside of Finland, Tulio’s films have influenced the work of filmmakers such as Aki Kaurismäki, Guy Maddin, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
This film will be screened from a 35mm print from the National Audiovisual Institute, Finland.