Lapland, Christmas, 1984. A bittersweet tale of defiance against adversity and the threat of the Cold War. A small town where life has come to a standstill, Niina, a single mother working at the local newspaper, wants to write an article about a potential threat in the form of a Soviet missile fired into Finland. But no one takes her seriously so she sets out to investigate on her own. Part absurdist comedy, part political thriller, and part painful reflection on the effects of domestic violence, The Missile asks whether it’s possible to truly understand a threat before it’s too late.
Christmas in Lapland in 1984. An inspiring and bittersweet story of defiance against the threat of the Cold War. Niina is a single mother with two children, looking for work at a local newspaper. Life seems to have stopped in the town - the population is in no hurry to get anywhere and is all too used to nothing ever happening. When Niina hears a loud bang from the sky, a potential threat in the form of a Soviet missile fired into Finland, she wants to write an article about it, but no one takes her seriously. So, she sets out to investigate on her own and unwittingly becomes part of history, which the film presents in a charming way. Drawing from the style of the period, it sketches a world of tracksuits, mules and perennials, all to the background of synth Europop. Niina’s investigation soon intersects with her personal life, and with a new purpose, she is able to confront her painful past. Loosely based on a real geopolitical event, the film is part absurdist comedy, part political investigation and part painful reflection on the effects of domestic violence. On several levels, it asks the question of whether it’s possible to truly understand a threat before it’s too late.
