Thick Lashes of Lauri Mäntyvaara

Who is Lauri Mäntyvaara? A really hot ice hockey player, that’s who. But who cares? Certainly not teenage girls Heidi and Satu. They have nothing but contempt for handsome boys and cutesy romance. On the contrary, their favourite pastime is to crash wedding parties along the Finnish coast, preaching about how true love is not for sale. But then, the unthinkable happens: Heidi develops a huge crush on handsome Hockey Lauri, and all she can think about is cute kittens and greased boy muscles. Who will help Satu carry on her love revolution? And can she really trust that Heidi’s older brother Henri is telling the truth when he says he only wants to help her?

Incredibly, Thick Lashes… is the first feature film of director Hannaleena Hauru. It has everything a modern comedy needs: tough teenage girls, playfully visual narrative tricks, and hard-hitting lines. As it turns out, the film is also a surprisingly nuanced counterbalance to the bright pink commercialised version of love that surrounds us constantly. And with actors Inka Haapamåaki and Rosa Honkonen portraying the two protaginists, Finnish cinema has suddenly been gifted with two brand new superstars – no less.