Worlds collide amidst unlikely circumstances when the commitmentphobic party girl Aurora (Jussi award-winner Mimosa Willamo) meets Iranian man Darian one cold night at a hot-dog stand in Lapland. As they become acquainted, each divulges their life problems: Darian is a refugee seeking asylum for him and his daughter, while the outspoken Aurora’s financial struggles seem unsurmountable as she faces eviction from her apartment in the Arctic ghetto. The two of them agree to help each other in unconventional but vital ways that will shape their respective futures. But what is initially intended as a business transaction gives rise to something more in this wicked romantic comedy that is equally tender.
A fresh and daring new voice, director Miia Tervo has emerged as one of Finland’s most promising young talents. Aurora, which opened the Göteborg Film Festival earlier this year, is testament to this as it boldly defies the conservative portrayal of females in Finnish films by depicting young women’s substance abuse, while also addressing pertinent social and political issues.
