Frustrated by her mother’s erratic behavior, a 12-year-old girl sets out on an impromptu quest to find her birth father, in this sharp and touching portrait of adolescence.
The girls at the stable where 12-year-old Varpu rides and trains have started to comment about Varpu’s home life, including her mother’s odd behavior and absences, and the fact that Varpu never mentions her father.
Pressured by her peers and overwhelmed by her mother’s dependence on her, Varpu grows increasingly frustrated and embarks on an impromptu quest to find her biological father. But even as she takes on more responsibilities—including driving a car—she soon discovers that the ability to do adult things doesn’t make her an adult.
Addressing healthy relationships and mental health, Little Wing showcases the conflicts that can arise between childhood and adulthood. Directed by Selma Vilhunen (Finland, Denmark, 2016).
“A tender-hearted coming-of-age story shot in a low-key, realist style, Selma Vilhunen’s feature debut centers on a resourceful adolescent raised by an immature single mother who decides to track down her biological father.”—Variety
“Little Wing…confirms the creative vitality of filmmakers from that part of the world.”—The Hollywood Reporter
About the director
Selma Vilhunenis an Academy Award nominated screenwriter and director. She has won the Finnish competition at the Tampere Short Film Festival twice with her documentaries My Little Elephants (2003) and Pony Girls (2008).
In 2005 she co-wrote the feature film Homesick with Berlinale Golden Bear nominee Petri Kotwica. Little Wing is her fiction feature debut.
New Finnish Cinema
1508958000
1508965200
Image courtesy of Media Luna
WED—10-25-2017—7 PM
$12 ($7 ASF Members)
100 min. In Finnish with English subtitles.