Finnish American Lives (1982)

A moving portrait of traditional Finnish American culture in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan highlighting that fragile community of memory connecting ourselves with parents and grandparents It uses the biographical model of folklore filmmaking to tell the story of Erikki Vourenmaa a 92yearold Finnish immigrant and his family living near Ironwood Michigan This threegeneration farm family works celebrates reflects and grieves together The film explores the meaning of family ethnic history aging and intergenerational bonds It contrasts between the immigrant elder his Americanborn son and the partially assimilated grandchildren to illustrate change and continuity in the sauna belt of the Lake Superior Region As Dr Sharon Sherman concluded Loukinens focus on the bonds between generations will strike emotional chords about family relationships and ethnic identity for numerous cultural groups