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.