Film Review | Juha Kukkonen gives the performance of his life in Jarmo Lampela's film

Juha Kukkonen delivers a career-defining performance in Jarmo Lampela's new film, "Don Quijote." Kukkonen portrays Olli, a Finnish man living on the streets of Barcelona who sings Finnish songs to passersby, including "On suuri sun rantas autius." The film's visual representation shows Kukkonen singing on the streets of Barcelona, captured by Buenos Bandidos.

Director Jarmo Lampela, who has led Yle Drama since 2015 and focused on television productions, also brings his established filmmaking talent to this project. His previous directorial work includes successful feature films such as the youth drama "Sairaan kaunis maailma" (1997), the relationship drama "Rakastin epätoivoista naista" (1999), the episodic film "Joki" (2001), and the social commentary film "Eila" (2003), which centered on the life of a cleaner.

"Don Quijote" delves into themes of mental health and sobriety, which are presented as unattainable ideals, akin to Don Quixote's windmills. The film marks a significant artistic endeavor for both Kukkonen and Lampela, highlighting their continued contributions to Finnish cinema.