I lack the words to properly discribe this film. All of it is stunning and for international viewers super interesting. The film deals with the aftermath of WWII in Finland which is a fairly unexplored topic outside Finland. It's fascinating to explore the cultural, natural and socio-economic setting.

It's a movie about hard work, standing up for neighbors, perseverance, and love. In many ways, this movie has a lot in common with American Western settler movies but this one is, of course, distinctly Finnish.

I appreciate that the movie doesn't glamorize relationships, it shows the commitment and hard teamwork. The characters don't dandy around in wildflower fields on romantic picnics. Instead, we see them covered in mud, shivering in the snow, and working the land with every bit of energy they have left, complete with the zooming of mosquitos. It feels real and yet, it's absolutely beautiful in every way.

It's romance, and history, and amazing scenery, real costumes and sets, and interesting storyline. Give me more!

This is a lovely story of two people, virtually strangers, forging a new life for themselves in the wilderness. Anni is the headstrong daughter of a prosperous businessman. Veikko had been a mere lumberjack, but is now a wounded veteran of the 1939 Winter War when the Soviet Union invaded Finland. As a veteran, he is entitled to homestead a farm in the woods off in the boondocks and they proceed to do so. It is relentlessly hard work, and Veikko's health is uncertain.

According to the writer/director, the film's title in Finnish translates to "Our Own Land". This phrase (like our "40 Acres and a Mule") was the promise made to veterans, that they would get land of their own, and many new farms were homesteaded in this period.

The acting is solid, and the lead actress is radiantly convincing as a woman in love. This is a solid period piece, well worth seeing.