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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1972
Runtime0h 30m
LanguageFinnish
CertificationNR
GenresDocumentary, TV Movie
Votes2
DirectorPeter von Bagh
WritersPeter von Bagh
TypeFeature Film
Rating8.0 out of 10
Cast2 credited
Also Known AsOlavi Virta
About Olavi Virta
Portrait of a national icon: iskelmä or popular schlager legend Olavi Virta (1915–1972), as an old, lost and lonely man. When the film was screened for the first time, people all over Finland went ballistic – they couldn't take the sad sight of their tango's greatest voice, the incarnation of postwar wealth and glory in ruins.
Directed by Peter von Bagh, Olavi Virta leans on a strong ensemble — Olavi Virta, Peter von Bagh — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1972.
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