Princess

PRINCESS is the story of a woman who was declared insane by society but who with her radiant personality makes the world around her a better place.

The screenplay is based on the story of the life of Anna Lappalainen (1896–1988), who spent 50 years of her life in Kellokoski mental hospital in Tuusula – which in a certain sense can be considered her life’s work. Over the years, the radiant, beloved Princess and her “court” came to command the admiration and respect of fellow patients and hospital staff as well as the people of the surrounding village, which is attested to by the Princess monument erected in the Kellokoski hospital’s park.

Set mainly in the late 1940s and 1950s, the story gives us a fairly good look not only at the tempestuous relations between Princess and the world around her but at the therapeutic methods used in mental hospitals of the day and planned reforms. Blending elements of the tragicomic and historical drama, the film abounds in good performances by stars of Finnish acting (Krista Kosonen, Peter Franzén, Samuli Edelmann and others), leaving a brighter chord to resound.

PRINCESS is the first feature film by Arto Halonen, known mainly for his documentaries, and stars Katja Kukkola in a stunning performance.

Tauno Maarpuu