Maahiset

Directed by Hanns-J. Sajaniemi

Maahiset is a full-length drama comedy dealing with themes emerging from the world of young people, such as tolerance and climate anxiety. 13-year-old mobility-impaired Sakari is bullied at school. Outside of school, however, he gets to know a group of environmental activists called Maahiset, which he becomes popular with because of his creative mind. Sakari also gets to know a mystical hermit living in the forest, who is tasked with preventing a larger environmental crime. The Maahinen's messy family situations will soon become intertwined in the story set in a small village. The film was shot in the Jokela and Hyvinkää region in the summer of 2022, and its cast is made up of local young people. The main character is Eliel Mäntymaa, who has limited mobility due to his cancer background, who also actively participated in the ideation of the film's script. The producers of the film are Rasmus Mäntymaa and Hanns-J. Sajaniemi.