Hymyilevä mies / The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki

Olli Mäki, a likeable baker from a provincial Finnish town is an extremely shy young man – and his nation’s greatest boxing talent! In 1962, his ambitious manager, Elis, secured him a title fight against the American featherweight world champion Davey Moore. The event is supposed to be the highlight of Finland’s sporting history. Preparations for the big day are under way - exercising, photo shoots, sponsor dinners – but Olli’s thoughts are elsewhere. The young boxer has fallen head over heels for Raija and dreams of walking through forests with her, which does not agree with manager Elis. Director Juho Kuosmanan breaks the rules of a standard sport film. Employing charm, melancholy and laconic humour, he uses atmospheric, black-and-white Nouvelle Vague-like imagery to highlight what truly makes us happy.