International premiere

Defiant

Local title
Mässaja
Original title
Uhma
Director
Visa Koiso-Kanttila
Country
Finland
Year
2025
Festival
25th Youth and Children's Film Festival
Programme
International Youth Competition Programme
Genre
Drama, Youth film
Subject
familial relationships, friendship, child-parent relationships, coming of age, children's rights, youth

She was deemed broken by a broken system.

Defiant is a gritty and intensive drama about Vilma, who is struggling in her new blended family and ends up in a group home for teenagers. The institution is run by an ambivalent director, whose arbitrary treatment Vilma refuses to accept. Is there any other solution than to submit or run away, and who is ultimately worthy of trust?

Director
Visa Koiso-Kanttila
Screenwriter
Reeta Ruotsalainen
Cast
Ona Huczkowski, Kati Outinen, Tuomas Nilsson, Emmi Parviainen, Samuli Niittymäki, Jarkko Pajunen, Sonja Kuittinen, Tinka Andersson, Sami Sowe, Joonatan Pekola, Arttu Lager, Arvand Rasul
Producer
Minna Haapkylä, Olli Suominen, Tiina Pesonen
Cinematographer
Kerttu Hakkarainen
Production Design
Saara Joro
Editing
Matti Näränen
Music
Laura Naukkarinen
Sound
Janne Laine
Production
Rabbit Films
Distribution
B-Plan Distribution
Runtime
Language
Finnish
Subtitles
Estonian, English
Director
Visa Koiso-Kanttila

Visa Koiso-Kanttila (1970) Visa Koiso-Kanttila is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and feature film director whose documentaries, including “The Banished” (1998), “Father to Son” (2004) and “Portrait of a Man” (2010), have gained international recognition. His films boldly address themes such as the upbringing of boys, relationships between family members and generations, and socially excluded youth. Alongside his directing career, Koiso-Kanttila has worked as a dramaturge, cinematographer, and producer on all his partner Iiris Härmä’s award-winning documentaries. “Defiant” is Koiso-Kanttila’s second feature-length fiction film.

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Screenings

8th Hall Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Screening030816 / Mässaja
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Q&A duration
Screening duration
2nd Hall Apollo Kino Solaris
Screening121214 / Mässaja
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Screening duration
1st Saku hall Apollo Kino Solaris
Screening161113 / Mässaja
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Screening duration
Trailer