1986 in a village in Southern Finland: the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl has just experienced a meltdown as Mimi moves here, brightening up 15-year-old Mariia’s life for a moment. 20 years later, Mariia, now grown up, returns to her childhood home to care for her sick mother and recalls the summer of her first love and the tragic events of the following autumn. Will she be able to let go of her feelings of guilt, which threaten to engulf any light in her life? An impressively intense film told in flashbacks.

“And that is something I think is at the core of our film: that every child needs someone who sees her and takes care of her, and it’s never a job for another child. That’s something I would like people to see in this film. That and love. Because even though the story makes me cry, it’s also full of love.” (Inari Niemi)

Inari Niemi, born on October 28, 1978 in Helsinki, is a Finnish film director and screenwriter. Her best-known directorial works include the documentary about pop singer Robin, which premiered in December 2012, and her first feature-length film, SUMMER FRIENDS, which premiered in August 2014.

Filmography (selection): 2003 TÄNÄÄN AURA BILETTÄÄ, 2009 KESÄPAIKKA (both short films), 2012 ROBIN – THE MOVIE, 2014 SUMMER FRIENDS, 2017 JOULUMAA, 2023 LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT