Directed by Finnish director Aku Louhimiesthe film The Wait (international title of Odotus it is an extremely delicate work in which the deepest upheavals of the soul are addressed and the way in which these can reveal truths about ourselves that we are often unaware of. Even more specifically, the film explores themes related to female desire, second chances that ignite new sparks and fidelity seen both as a slowing element and as a lifeline compared to the potential dangers of the unknown.
The main question that the film raises concerns the nature of honesty, whether it is better to be brutally honest about one’s feelings or whether it is better to suffocate them to avoid sacrificing the certain for the unpredictable. Played by roughly just three actors, the film draws its themes and story from the nineteenth-century novel The parish priest’s wifeOf Juhani Aho, of which it is however a contemporary adaptation. An adaptation that incorporates the Covid-19 pandemic within itself (although without ever actually showing it) to further underline the isolation and fears of the protagonists.
Precisely because of the pandemic itself, however, The Wait it had a rather limited distribution, which did not allow it to establish itself as it deserved on an international level. However, his television appearance is now an opportunity to discover this intense feature film. In this article, we will therefore delve into some of the main curiosities relating to The Wait. By continuing to read here it will be possible to find further details relating to the plotto the cast of actors and ai places where it was filmed. Finally, the main ones will also be listed streaming platforms containing the film in their catalogue.
The plot of The Wait
The film is set in the present day on a remote island in the archipelago off the coast of the city of Turku in Finland. In that place isolated from the rest of the world in the grip of the pandemic, they live Elli and her husband, the Protestant pastor Mikko, both in their thirties. Their existence, apparently calm and serene, is shaken the day she lands on the island Olavi. The man, arriving from France, is a childhood friend of both spouses, as well as an old flame of Elli’s. While the preacher is happy to see his friend for the joy he brings to their home, he does not imagine that his wife experiences much deeper sensations with that man.
Olav’s arrival will in fact force Elli to reevaluate her feelings for Mikko, but also to confront her sexual desires that have been repressed for too long, forcing her to question her life choices and find the courage to be honest with herself . An emotional struggle between rationality and passion therefore begins for her, which brings her back to experiencing aspects of her past that she thought were now forgotten, while in her heart, the feeling of love, honesty and desire therefore begin to intertwine with each other. , leading to unpredictable outcomes.
The parish priest’s wife: the book on which the film is based
The film, as anticipated, is a contemporary adaptation of the story The parish priest’s wife (Papin rouva)written in 1893 by Juhani Aho. This is a sequel to the first book written in 1885 by Aho, The parish priest’s daughter, in which the young Elli aspires to a broader life horizon and more noble ideals and finds herself in conflict with the short-sightedness of her father – the parish priest – and then with the narrow-mindedness and fatuity of a student, who disappoints the expectation of poor Elli, thus forced to marry the assistant parish priest. Following the excellent response obtained by the novel, Aho therefore gave life to a continuation of that story.
In The parish priest’s wife Elli therefore returns, unhappy and lonely alongside her married husband at the end of the previous novel. The protagonist is brought back to her childhood visions the day that the student she was in love with returns and is hosted by her and her husband. This second novel was also received with great attention and once again demonstrated Aho’s ability to explore the human soul. The parish priest’s wifeFurthermore, it marked a notable progress regarding psychological introspection and the exploration of the feeling of love.
The cast of the film and the locations where it was filmed
The actress plays Elli, the female protagonist of the film Inka Kallénknown mainly in Finland and distinguished by television series such as Presidents (2017), Ivalo (2018-2022) e Kaikki Synnit (2020-2023). Next to her, in the role of her husband Mikko, there is the actor Aku HirviniemiWhile Andrei Alen It’s Olavi. Alén also stood out for his participation in American-produced films such as The Nest – The deception, with Jude Law And Dual – The clonewith Karen Gillan And Aaron Paul. The actors complete the cast Adeliina Arajuuri in the role of the doctor e Eino Heiskanen in that of Tavela.
As for the locations of the film, these can all be found near theTurku archipelagolocated in the eastern part of Archipelago SeaIn the Baltic Seaa few kilometers from the Finnish city of Turku. More precisely, however, filming took place in Pargaslocated in the region of Varsinais-Suomi. Since the 1980s, part of the archipelago has been transformed into National Park (Archipelago National Park) to protect its natural and cultural treasures. Also for this reason, The Wait it stood out as the first film production made with zero CO2 emissions.
The trailer of The Wait and where to watch it in streaming and on TV
Unfortunately the film is not present on any of the streaming platforms currently active in Italy. However, it is present in the television schedule of Friday 3 May at 9.20pm On the canal Sky.
