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Letters to Father Jacob

KLAUS HÄRÖ
Finland, 2009, 74 minutes, Color, film's website

A gentle parable of redemption, this Finnish drama is about a minister and the paroled murderess who can't see what he's done for her. Expecting to serve a life sentence, sullen Leila is unexpectedly released and offered a position at Jacob's remote parsonage. The cleric gets lots of mail requesting prayers and guidance. Leila's job is to read the missives to Jacob, who sometimes responds with one of the Bible verses he knows by heart. Aside from the local postman, who's terrified of Leila, Jacob and his scribe don't get much company. Indeed, the minister is losing touch with reality, which forces Leila to accept responsibility after years of not caring about anything. Finland's nominee for the 2009 foreign-film Oscar®, this intimate tale is set during a luminous Nordic summer and swathed in classical piano music. —Mark Jenkins

In Finnish with English subtitles

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