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IN CINEMAS ACROSS FINLAND — OCT 2, 2026

(Screenings to be announced)

Across the world, young people are struggling with anxiety, overstimulation, overwhelming social and family expectations, and a disconnection from nature. Island of Hope (orig. Sopeutumaton) is a documentary about the search for another way to live.
The film follows Nadja, a highly sensitive city dweller caught up in Helsinki’s Kallio nightlife and techno scene, as she escapes the pressure and chaos of modern life and

retreats to a remote island in Finland’s vast lake wilderness. There, she encounters the legacy of Toivo “Hope” Pylväläinen — a mysterious inventor and hermit who lived alone on an isolated island for more than 40 years. What begins as a personal escape becomes a journey into intergenerational memory, deep-seated fears, and the restorative power of nature.

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34%

6%

20 min

1 day

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ISLAND OF HOPE STORY
Finland 2026, 95 min (orig. Sopeutumaton)

Island of Hope (95 min) is a creative coming of age documentary. At its center is Nadja, a highly sensitive young woman balancing on the edge of exhaustion and social exclusion while trying to find meaning in a world where it is difficult for her to feel at ease.

Through her journey into the Finnish wilderness and her unexpected connection to Toivo — her great-great-uncle, once believed dead — the film becomes a story about healing, belonging, the legacies we inherit across generations, and the human need for nature. The documentary combines intimate observation, cinematic and poetic storytelling, and the mystical atmosphere of Finland’s lake wilderness.
ISLAND OF HOPE (orig. Sopeutumaton)
Finland 2026, 95 min

DIRECTED BY
Miikka Poutiainen

PRODUCED AND WRITTEN BY
Miikka Poutiainen, Sami Sampo Salminen
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Samuel C. Karppinen, Miikka Poutiainen, Mauri Lähdesmäki, Sami Sampo Salminen
EDITING
Mauri Lähdesmäki
SOUND DESIGN
Sami Sampo Salminen
COMPOSER
Sylvester Taina
SOUND MIXING
Jorma Kaulanen
MUSIC PERFORMANCES
Nadja
DRAMATURGY
Iris Olsson, Maija Hirvonen
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Markku Lepistö
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PRODUCTION
PinkAgency Productions
DISTRIBUTION
Pirkanmaa Film Centre / Juha Elomäki
PRESS RELEASE:
Download the press release here.
(In Finnish, Updated 2/9/2026)

FILMIKAMARI PRESS SITE:
More press materials at media.filmikamari.fi
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“I will never move away from Kallio”

IN CINEMAS ACROSS FINLAND — OCT 2, 2026

(Screenings to be announced)

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Half of all young Europeans now report poor mental health, and depression among them has more than doubled.

34%

1 in 3 girls in grades 8–9 experience moderate to severe anxiety.

6%

Only 6% of girls and 15% of boys report high positive mental health.

20 min

20–30 minutes in nature can help reduce stress and lower cortisol levels.

1 day

Spending time in nature even once a week is associated with better positive mental health.

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As if I would bake a cake and pour gasoline in it, then eat it, and start vomiting… Why do I vomit?

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When things are talked about, someone can say that she doesn’t need to kill herself

Questions of the Mind?

ADHD Association

A-Clinic Foundation

Sekasin Collective

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Her life is like a movie

#IslandOfHope #Sopeutumaton supporters

Request the film and/or filmmakers to your event, organization or school