14/09/2012 - Finnish director Antti Jokinen's adaption of Sofi Oksinen's novel surpasses expectations to sign for this year's best opening of a local film, taking 31,151 admissions over the last weekend

Finnish director Antti Jokinen's Purge [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - the adaption of Finnish author Sofi Oksanen's novel, which last year received the Nordic Council Literary Award, adding the European Book Prize 2010 - registered this year's best opening of a local film, taking 31,151 admissions from more than 100 screens over last weekend.

Starring Laura Birn, Liisi Tandefelt and Amanda Pilke, Purge intertwines the lives of Aliide, a villager, and Zara, a victim of human trafficking, linked together by deceit, desperation and fear. Scripted by Marko Leino and Jokinen, the film was shot in Estonia as a Finnish-Estonian co-production staged by Finnish producer Markus Selin's Solar Films Inc. Oy, with Estonia's Taska Film.

"The audience response was extraordinary - according to en exit poll more than 90% said they would recommend the movie to their friends," said head of Nordisk Film AB Finland, Katarina Nyman, who catered for the Finnish release. Denmark's TrustNordisk handles international sales for Purge, which will screen at the Busan International Film Festival between October 4-13.

Even before Jokinen's contribution, Finnish films sold almost 1.5 million tickets during the first eight months of 2012, more than doubling the figures from last year and up 30% on 2010, which was a recond breaking year for domestic fare. General attendance reached 5.5 million, a 12% increase from 2011, with local productions accounting for 27%.

US directors Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier's Ice Age 4: Continental Drift is this year's top grosser, from 304,306 admissions, closely followed by Finnish director Mari Rantisala's Ricky Rapper and Cool Wendy, a family musical comedy produced by Kinotar Oy, and distributed by Nordisk Film AB Finland.