World premiere

Never Alone

Local title
Sa pole üksi
Original title
Ei koskaan yksin
Director
Klaus Härö
Country
Finland, Estonia, Austria, Germany, Sweden
Year
2024
Festival
28th Black Nights Film Festival
Programme
Baltic Film Competition
Genre
historical drama
Subject
individual vs society, politics

Klaus Härö brings to life the inspiring humanitarian efforts of Abraham Stiller in this gripping film.

Partly filmed in Estonia, with costumes by Eugen Tamberg and production design by Jaagup Roomet, this thrilling historical drama tells the lesser-known story of Abraham Stiller's struggle to protect Jews from deportation to the Nazis. Stiller, a Finnish Jewish businessman, did everything in his power to help the Jewish refugees seeking shelter in Finland.

While Finland remains unoccupied during the Second World War, some officials and cabinet ministers want to appease the Nazis by dealing with the so-called 'Jewish question'. Many Jewish refugees who have come to Finland in search of a better future find themselves facing the same problems as before. The kind but outspoken Abraham speaks out to protect the asylum seekers, but suddenly finds himself torn between his personal life and his politics, his emotions and his reason.

Estonian editor Tambet Tasuja dynamically cuts a gripping narrative, alternating between the perspective of guilt-ridden Abraham in 1972 and flashbacks to key events in 1938 and 1941-42.

Edvinas Pukšta

Director
Klaus Härö
Screenwriter
Klaus Härö, Jimmy Karlsson
Cast
Ville Virtanen, Kari Hietalahti, Rony Herman, Naemi Latzer, Nina Hukkinen, Peter Kanerva, Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Carl-Kristian Rundman
Producer
Ilkka Matila, Loredana Rehekampff, Andreas Schmied, Kristian Taska, Josef Brandmaier, John Hörnschemeyer, Peter Krupenin
Cinematographer
Robert Nordström
Music
Matti Bye
Runtime
Language
German, Finnish, Swedish
Subtitles
English
Director
Klaus Härö

Klaus Härö (1971) is a Finnish-Swedish director who has studied film directing and screenwriting at Aalto University in Helsinki. Klaus has directed ten full-length feature films, as well as short films, documentaries and TV series. His films have won numerous awards at festivals. On several occasions, Finland has nominated his films for the Best Non-English Language Film Oscar Award: “Letters to Father Jacob”, “Mother of Mine”, “Elina: As If I Wasn’t There”, “The Fencer”, which have all been also screened at PÖFF. The latest film by Klaus to be nominated for the Best Non-English Language Film Oscar Award was “The Fencer” in 2015, a film made in cooperation with Estonia.

Elina (PÖFF 2003), Äidestä parhain (Emadest parim, PÖFF 2005), Den nya människan (Uus inimene, PÖFF 2007), Postia pappi Jaakobille (Kirjad isa Jaakobile, PÖFF 2009), Miekkailija (Vehkleja, PÖFF 2015), Tuntematon mestari (Tundmatu meister, 2018), Livet efter döden (Life After Death, 2020), My Sailor, My Love (2022)

Award for Best Baltic Film, grant of 5000€ from Piletilevi

Screenings

2nd Hall Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Screening060201 / Sa pole üksi
SubtitlesEnglish
Q&A guestsKlaus Härö (Director, Screenwriter)
Q&A duration
Screening duration
1. Hall Apollo Kino Tasku
Screening114201 / Sa pole üksi
SubtitlesEnglish
Screening duration
7th Hall Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Screening160703 / Sa pole üksi
SubtitlesEnglish
Screening duration
Trailer
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