Doc@PÖFF International Competition Best Film

Not every filmmaker inherits a film already in the making. When Finnish director Karin Pennanen’s uncle Markku died after decades of isolation, she entered his house for the first time in 34 years and uncovered a world no one had seen: an immense archive of paintings, compositions, writings, audio diaries, videotapes, and even notes on how a film should be constructed. Out of this hidden legacy, a dialogue across death begins to take shape.

Once a beloved playmate of her childhood, Markku had withdrawn into solitude, devoting his life to inner freedom and creativity rather than the expectations of society. Now his voice returns – sometimes playful, sometimes wounded, always searching – guiding Karin through his life’s work and opening space for an unusual collaboration between the living and the dead.

“Days of Wonder” is both an intimate family portrait and a cinematic resurrection. It transforms a story of loss into an act of wonder, inviting us to rethink what it means to live authentically, and to encounter Markku not only as a hidden Finnish genius, but as a companion in the universal quest for meaning.

Marianna Kaat