Anssi Mänttäri

Directing

Anssi Mänttäri

Born 1941-12-18 · Sippola, Finland

Acting credits

Commando Assault poster
6.1

Lieutenant Takala meets his fellow partisans of 20th division many year after the war. With flashbacks we see the events of summer 1944.

Commando Assault

1963

Tunteita poster
6.0

Emotions is an episodic film compiled from the theatrical short films of four first-time directors. Directed by Kalevi Korte, Liukastelua tells the story of a young man who helps a woman who has slipped on the street. The accident marks the beginning of a romance. Confiteor, based on a screenplay by Jyrki Lappi-Seppälä and directed by Jaakko Talaskivi, is a story about the friendship between two men that ends with the death of one of them. Leena Salokangas' Toivo, rakkaus (Hope, Love) is the story of a young married woman's one-night stand with a stranger. The final episode is Kristiina, directed by Asko Tolonen. Kristiina Halkola, who plays the title character, suspects she is pregnant.

Tunteita

1965

Morena poster
4.7

Redbeard leaves Finland to spend time in Berlin wandering in and out of bars. He meets up with a beautiful Italian waitress, who spends one night with him but is then dismissed.

Morena

1986

Portraits of Women poster
5.0

Finnish porn movie producer Pertsa returns from America to his home country to continue his profession with hopelessly small budgets and incompetent casts and crews. A self-ironic satire about director Donner's scandalous fame in late 1960s Finland, notorious for a graphic long shot of his penis pointing northeast.

Portraits of Women

1970

Calamari Union poster
7.0

A group of men all called Frank—except for one named Pekka—have had enough of life in their working-class neighborhood, so they set off for a better existence in the magical seaside district of Eira. But the way is long, and the group face many hurdles including stray dogs and defunct streetlights.

Calamari Union

1985

Palkkasoturi poster
5.8

The story of a modest man, played by Ilkka Heiskanen, who decides to become a mercenary in the Yugoslavian civil war. This decision leaves him completely destitute. His parents do not approve of his decision, nor do his friends at the local bar.

Palkkasoturi

1997

The Rise and Fall of a Friendship poster
3.5

The egocentric author Jalo Rautakumpu welcomes a visitor to his cabin in the Lappish wilderness. After sauna and a bottle of alcohol, the friendship is formed. But friends can be bad for business.

The Rise and Fall of a Friendship

2012

Jussi Pussi poster
4.1

Jussi, a student admired by all women, is inadvertently selected to represent both left-wing and right-wing parties in the parliamentary elections. All Jussi cares about is the beautiful, blonde Irmeli.

Jussi Pussi

1970

The Inspector poster
NR

Surrealistic black comedy about a safe insurance inspector looking into one company's fate.

The Inspector

2011

Jeanne d'Arc poster
NR

A young woman recovering from a suicide attempt arrives in a war-torn city and gets a job as a waitress at a local bar. Jeanne befriends the author of an unpopular drunkard, but fate has other plans for their relationship .

Jeanne d'Arc

2009

Jumalia ei uhmata poster
5.5

A well-known Finnish man is found murdered in a popular Sicilian resort, and a Finnish police officer who happens to be there begins to investigate the case on his own.

Jumalia ei uhmata

1988

Rakkauselokuva poster
5.0

The Torniainen are a couple consisting of Raija, a flight attendant, and Hanski, a civil engineer. They have long wanted to have a child. Tests show that Hanski is infertile, and the doctor offers little hope.

Rakkauselokuva

1984

See You Some Bloody Day poster
NR

A movie about a movie that was never made.

See You Some Bloody Day

2016

Cuban Serenade poster
NR

Finnish documentary about Cuba.

Cuban Serenade

1997

Cupid Aims High poster
4.7

A comedy of an amateur puppet theater, eviction and modern women with their old-fashioned methods.

Cupid Aims High

1990

Lakeuden kutsu poster
5.8

Businessman Erkki Hakala returns to Ostrobothnia after years in Florida and buys a metal workshop in Jalasjärvi from the unknown Partanen brothers with his business partner Taisto Matsomppi. Erkki misses his wife Kaisu, who back in the day stayed in Finland, and his child, but will the man be forgiven for years of absence?

Lakeuden kutsu

2000

Karvat poster
4.4

A middle-aged man becomes deeply involved with the affairs and criminal connections of a mysterious girl.

Karvat

1974

Some of You May Have Heard of Me poster
NR

Kari Uusitalo, a regular visitor to the Tampere Film Festival, delved into the state of Finnish cinema of the mid-1980s, while getting to know the new generation of filmmakers in Anssi Mänttäri's comedic short documentary. Deep in Reppufilmi's cellar, in addition to director Mänttäri, we meet Pirkko Hämäläinen, Markku Toikka, Matti Pellonpää, Paavo Piskonen and Pauli Pentti. The film poses the question: why is a person, an artist, willing to risk everything over and over again?

Some of You May Have Heard of Me

2025

Viimeiset rotannahat poster
5.0

Anssi Mänttäri’s low-budget movies with their intimate content have become classics. In this black comedy that takes place in Helsinki in summer the main character (played by Mänttäri himself) jumps from one bar and bed to the next. Especially vulgar black humour.

Viimeiset rotannahat

1985

Anssi Mänttäri – Suomielokuvan kummisetä poster
NR

Anssi Mänttäri is a living legend of Finnish cinema. Having been involved in over a hundred industry projects as a producer, screenwriter, and actor, Mänttäri’s personal directing credits include 26 feature films, as well as TV movies, series, short films, and documentaries. The documentary chronicles Mänttäri’s career chronologically. His theatre aspirations led to his first role in Mikko Niskanen’s Commando Assault, getting established in the film industry, and finally, his debut as a director with The Holy Family. With plenty of footage of Mänttäri’s films over the years, this biographical documentary meticulously combs through his filmography, also touching on his thoughts about winning a Jussi Award and founding the organisation ELKE ry.

Anssi Mänttäri – Suomielokuvan kummisetä

2024

Behind the camera

Morena poster
4.7

Redbeard leaves Finland to spend time in Berlin wandering in and out of bars. He meets up with a beautiful Italian waitress, who spends one night with him but is then dismissed.

Morena

1986

Morena poster
4.7

Redbeard leaves Finland to spend time in Berlin wandering in and out of bars. He meets up with a beautiful Italian waitress, who spends one night with him but is then dismissed.

Morena

1986

Morena poster
4.7

Redbeard leaves Finland to spend time in Berlin wandering in and out of bars. He meets up with a beautiful Italian waitress, who spends one night with him but is then dismissed.

Morena

1986

Palkkasoturi poster
5.8

The story of a modest man, played by Ilkka Heiskanen, who decides to become a mercenary in the Yugoslavian civil war. This decision leaves him completely destitute. His parents do not approve of his decision, nor do his friends at the local bar.

Palkkasoturi

1997

Palkkasoturi poster
5.8

The story of a modest man, played by Ilkka Heiskanen, who decides to become a mercenary in the Yugoslavian civil war. This decision leaves him completely destitute. His parents do not approve of his decision, nor do his friends at the local bar.

Palkkasoturi

1997

Pyhä perhe poster
4.5

Paavo Mäkinen's alcoholism is hard on the whole family. His wife Terttu falls into depression and is hospitalized. Their children Marja, Tapsa, and Sanna each show symptoms in their own way: leaving home, drinking, skipping school. Will Paavo manage to stop drinking for the sake of his family?

Pyhä perhe

1976

Pyhä perhe poster
4.5

Paavo Mäkinen's alcoholism is hard on the whole family. His wife Terttu falls into depression and is hospitalized. Their children Marja, Tapsa, and Sanna each show symptoms in their own way: leaving home, drinking, skipping school. Will Paavo manage to stop drinking for the sake of his family?

Pyhä perhe

1976

The Rise and Fall of a Friendship poster
3.5

The egocentric author Jalo Rautakumpu welcomes a visitor to his cabin in the Lappish wilderness. After sauna and a bottle of alcohol, the friendship is formed. But friends can be bad for business.

The Rise and Fall of a Friendship

2012

The Rise and Fall of a Friendship poster
3.5

The egocentric author Jalo Rautakumpu welcomes a visitor to his cabin in the Lappish wilderness. After sauna and a bottle of alcohol, the friendship is formed. But friends can be bad for business.

The Rise and Fall of a Friendship

2012

The Rise and Fall of a Friendship poster
3.5

The egocentric author Jalo Rautakumpu welcomes a visitor to his cabin in the Lappish wilderness. After sauna and a bottle of alcohol, the friendship is formed. But friends can be bad for business.

The Rise and Fall of a Friendship

2012

Salama poster
NR

Interview documentary about Finnish author Hannu Salama (born 1936).

Salama

1986

The Inspector poster
NR

Surrealistic black comedy about a safe insurance inspector looking into one company's fate.

The Inspector

2011

The Inspector poster
NR

Surrealistic black comedy about a safe insurance inspector looking into one company's fate.

The Inspector

2011

Joensuun Elli poster
6.0

The film shows how Midsummer was celebrated in North Karelia in 1973.

Joensuun Elli

2004

Joensuun Elli poster
6.0

The film shows how Midsummer was celebrated in North Karelia in 1973.

Joensuun Elli

2004

Joensuun Elli poster
6.0

The film shows how Midsummer was celebrated in North Karelia in 1973.

Joensuun Elli

2004

Dirlandaa poster
5.0

Without money, without papers, and without language skills, Pena manages to get by in Fuengirola, whether on the beach, in restaurants, or at pig festivals.

Dirlandaa

2000

Dirlandaa poster
5.0

Without money, without papers, and without language skills, Pena manages to get by in Fuengirola, whether on the beach, in restaurants, or at pig festivals.

Dirlandaa

2000

Dirlandaa poster
5.0

Without money, without papers, and without language skills, Pena manages to get by in Fuengirola, whether on the beach, in restaurants, or at pig festivals.

Dirlandaa

2000

Kello poster
4.5

Lauri Valjakka, a lecturer at the Department of Sociology, is thoroughly fed up with his family, whom he refers to as a "consumption unit," and his irritating, rigid wife. After a tedious train journey, Valjakka decides to leave his wife. He manages to escape to a station restaurant, where he meets an unusually honest man who has been abandoned and a straightforward woman.

Kello

1984

Kello poster
4.5

Lauri Valjakka, a lecturer at the Department of Sociology, is thoroughly fed up with his family, whom he refers to as a "consumption unit," and his irritating, rigid wife. After a tedious train journey, Valjakka decides to leave his wife. He manages to escape to a station restaurant, where he meets an unusually honest man who has been abandoned and a straightforward woman.

Kello

1984

Kello poster
4.5

Lauri Valjakka, a lecturer at the Department of Sociology, is thoroughly fed up with his family, whom he refers to as a "consumption unit," and his irritating, rigid wife. After a tedious train journey, Valjakka decides to leave his wife. He manages to escape to a station restaurant, where he meets an unusually honest man who has been abandoned and a straightforward woman.

Kello

1984

Mother Wanted poster
6.8

Anni wants a new mommy for herself and a new wife for her dad. But dad has forgotten how to find a wife and needs Anni's help.

Mother Wanted

1989

Mother Wanted poster
6.8

Anni wants a new mommy for herself and a new wife for her dad. But dad has forgotten how to find a wife and needs Anni's help.

Mother Wanted

1989