Prison and Paradise
Saaren vangit
Present-day life on a fortress island off Helsinki. Suomenlinna is a museum reserve, home to nearly a thousand inhabitants, but also a prison island. The film describes how several people relate to the island: an old man, a child, a convict, an Italian artist and a clergyman’s widow — some come for a stay and never leave, some can’t take even a few months. The maritime fortress is an endless construction site, on which the characters of the film each leave their own mark. The film’s directors, cinematographer and composer all live on Suomenlinna. This is their declaration of love for the Devil’s Island, a prison from which they wish never to be freed.