Kukushka
Set in September of 1944, a few days before Finland pulled out of the Second World War, this movie (made in 2002) features three main characters and a very unusual twist on a trope.
The paths of a runaway Finnish sniper (Veikko) and a condemned Soviet captain (Ivan) accidentally converge at the farm of a Sámi woman (Anni). None of the three speaks the others' languages (Finnish, Sami and Russian), and the men are hostile toward each other. To the woman, however, they are not enemies - just men.
This movie provides examples of:
- Bilingual Dialogue: For almost the entire duration of the movie; it's worth watching for this alone, as it's done very well.
- Entertainingly Wrong: For just one example, when Anni tells her sons about their fathers she doesn't know that Ivan was the one who shot Veikko.
- Fun with Foreign Languages
- Locked in a Room: Without meaningful conversation!
- MacGyvering: Veikko is chained to a rock, and frees himself with creative use of his minimal supplies.
- Women Are Wiser