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1980This biographical film celebrates the little-known life of the Finnish novelist and revolutionary Maiju Lassila (Asko Sarkola), born in 1868. Lassila's early years are briefly shown, then the film richly details his active and paradoxically reclusive adult life, beginning with his sojourn in St. Petersburg, working as a businessman. Unable to stay away from politics, he caused the assassination of a high-ranking Czarist and as a result, had to run back to Finland to hide. Once established in the comparative safety of a small village, he taught school in order to support his real vocation as a writer. Always living on the edge of poverty, if not square in the middle of it, Lassila continues to avoid public contact - he keeps his identity low-key and camoflages it by publishing under a variety of pseudonyms.
Acted in
Asko Sarkola
as Writer Algot Lassila, aka Maiju Lassila, aka Irmari Rantamala
Rea Mauranen
as Olga Esempio
Kari Franck
as Gunnar Avanto
Ari Suonsuu
as Kalle
Ritva Juhanto
as Kurttuska
Esko Salminen
as Arwid
Heikki Alho
as Pikku-Pouvali
Tuomo Railo
as Sulo Esempio
Yuri Rodionov
as Rawitz
Galina Galtseva
as Magda
Soli Labbart
as Maria Lassila
Pirkka Karskela
as Young Algot
Markku Blomqvist
as Lundberg
Esa Suvilehto
as Pöntinen
Matti Oravisto
as Commandant Carl von Wendt
Gunvor Sandkvist
as Anna Belostotskaja
Pentti Kotkaniemi
as Russian Army Captain
Aleksandr Zakharov
as Von Plehwe
Vadim Mikheyenko
as Terrorist
Antero Harpf
as Rebel officer
German Lupekin
as General Porunov
Esko Pesonen
as Chief editor
Arno Virtanen
as Circus manager
Vitali Iljin-Shapiro
as Terrorist
Jan Kulik
as Terrorist
Toivo Tuomainen
as Oskari Skoff
Elvi Saarnio
as Olga Esempio in prologue (voice)
Yrjö Tähtelä
as Narrator (voice)
Eeva-Kaarina Volanen
as (voice)
Mauno Blomqvist
as Ploughman (uncredited)
Mauri Front
as News photographer (uncredited)
Pentti Louko
as Orthodox priest (uncredited)
Esko Salmesvirta
as Algot's father (uncredited)
Rauha Wolska
as Restaurant hostess (uncredited)