The Finnish documentary: A critical overview of historical perspectives and thematic developments

The purpose of this article is dual. Firstly, by introducing and contextualizing its articles and authors, it functions as an introduction to this special edition of Studies in Documentary Film dedicated to contemporary Finnish documentary film. Secondly, it seeks to place these articles in an overarching context, in terms of both Finnish documentary film and documentary film more broadly. It is no accident that this collection concentrates on a small Nordic national cinema, as that cinema has made a lasting impression in the new ‘golden age’ of creative documentary during the 2000s and 2010s. Finland’s documentary ecology acts as a prism through which the factors and forces that dictate and effect the documentaries seen on global screens can be analysed and evaluated. In turn, this focus on Finland can illuminate some of the major issues facing documentary production in an age of challenge, transformation and promise.

KEYWORDS: Documentary, cinema, nordic, media production, aesthetics, Finnish, funding, transnational,