Populärmusik från Vittula

Reza Bagher’s sympathetic adaptation of Mikael Niemi’s best-selling Scandinavian novel about the rock ‘n’ roll rebellion that took place in Sweden in the 1960s is every bit as wild as the original. The film is an entertaining portrait of both Sweden’s Meänkieli minority, who speak a Language not unlike Finnish and the sometimes rather unusual customs of those who live north of the polar circle.
Vittula is the name of the remote little town where Matti and his shy friend, Niila have grown up. Theirs is an insular world of hardened drinkers and illegal distilleries. Vittula is also inhabited by Matti’s Communist grandfather and members of the Christian-fundamentalist Laestadian sect. It looks very much as though life will continue to just bypass Matti and Niila – until one day, Greger appears on the scene.
Not only does this young music teacher from the south teach the boys how to play the guitar, his infectious enthusiasm and unconventional outlook open up a whole new world for the two friends. Sensing that their big opportunity to escape their miserable small town existence has come at last, Matti and Niila decide to form a band. For one wonderful moment, music offers them a glimmer of hope – like a ray of light on the northern Swedish horizon. However, music may be a way for Matti and Niila to see the world with different eyes – but it is by no means a passport to another life.