The Faith programme features both documentary and fiction short films ranging from the 1960s to the present day. The selection is built around the idea of the universal human need to attach to or believe in something – even in an era that is particularly individualistic in the Western world.
The programme consists of three short-film screenings that examine Christianity sharply, yet with respect and open curiosity. Christianity serves as the lens for this exploration because its role in our society is particularly ambivalent.
The programme also includes the Faith and Democracy Discussion, which explores the importance of imagination in a democracy. The discussion event will take place on 5 March at 18:00 (Cine Atlas 3). Admission to the discussion is free. Read more on the event page.
Read the full screening introduction text below.
FAITH
I hear it repeated that we live in an individualistic era. Individual rights and the freedom to self-actualise are perceived as one of the most important values in secularised Western countries. But when individuals are granted freedoms, our own personal well-being also becomes an obligation without us even realising it. Self-help capitalism flourishes when people search for purpose in their lives: What kind of life would be special, meaningful, and exactly right for me?
While we demand independence, autonomy and a strong individualistic view of how life should be lived, spirituality has begun to interest secularised people in a new way. The security provided by spiritual communities or the explanation of the world offered by religions may appeal to those who are exhausted by freedom of choice.
The Faith programme is based on the idea of the individual’s universal need to attach themselves to or believe in something. Three short film screenings from the 1960s to the present day examine Christianity sharply, but with respect and open curiosity. Faith is examined specifically through Christianity, because its essence in our society is the most ambivalent: In a secular Finland, it is common to think that religion does not influence our rational society, and especially not democratic decision-making.
The screenings are themed under the titles of The Devotees, The Doubters and The Seekers. The Devotees includes the documentary film Luostari lumen keskellä (1965) about the Orthodox nunnery, Lintula, in Palokki. The documentary is an interesting snapshot of its time, but the contrast between the patriarchate of the Orthodox Church and the everyday life of the nunnery is just as true today. The recent Spanish fiction La sangre (2025) mischievously brings Catholic saint culture into the age of social media. The fictional film Place d’Armes (2024) deals with the relationship of a homosexual person to the church.
The screening of The Doubters includes three documentaries with a critical point of view. The documentary film Armon vuonna from 1974, directed by Lasse Naukkarinen, deals with religion as a social phenomenon. Although it has been 50 years since the film was made, some of the issues it raises are still talked about today: ecstasy movements and youth, the relationship between the state and the church… Thank You Mother (2025) is a personal and poignant documentary about the different relationships between a young director and his family and God. The screening concludes with Always Wanted to Be God, Never Wanted to Do Good (2025), which criticises the dominance of Christianity in Swiss society.
The screening The Seekers consists of five fictions that are united by a searching or hopeful relationship with faith and spirituality. The short film I Am a Human Being Your God (2019) moves from despair through a child’s faith (Sans Dieu, 2024) and exorcism (J’ai vu le visage du diable, 2023) to search for answers in outer space (We Are Not Alone, 2024) and animism (Vox Humana, 2024).
Riina Mikkonen
Tampere Film Festival
