"laestadian, apostolic, gay, lgbtq, ex-oalc, ex-llc, llc, oalc, bunner" LEARNING TO LIVE FREE: Forbidden Fruit

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Forbidden Fruit

Seems there is a new Swedish-Finnish film called "Forbidden Fruit" that features a Laestadian theme, or perhaps more accurately, an ex-Laestadian theme. I wonder if the film is based on a book, and whether it is woefully exaggerated. Of course what seems plausible in the film may depend on the how much one knows about Laestadianism. As many of you have no doubt experienced, non-Laestadians tend to disbelieve the tenets of the religion, as if those ideas belong to an earlier century and couldn't possibly be embraced by modern, 21st century people. Heh. Little do they know!

I look forward to hearing reviews from our European readers. Meanwhile, here is Variety magazine's write-up.

Two 18-year-olds from apostolic Lutheran families wind up sampling "Forbidden Fruit" in Finnish director Dome Karukoski's ("Home of the Dark Butterflies") melodramatic coming-of-ager. Offering a superficial look at the strict fundamentalist beliefs of his country's 110,000-strong Laestadian community, a sect that takes the Bible literally and prohibits contraceptives, television, alcohol, rhythmic dancing and premarital sex, pic is always watchable but seldom entirely plausible or emotionally satisfying. A domestic theatrical release is slated for mid-February; fests and tube constitute best bets for export.

Sassy brunette Maria (Amanda Pilke) leaves her repressive home in Northern Ostrobothnia to experience the pleasures of the flesh in Helsinki. She figures she can always repent and be welcomed back to the fold ("All your sins forgiven in the name and blood of Christ") per Laestadian liturgy. When community elders dispatch Maria's prissy blonde best friend Raakel (Marjut Maristo) to save her from eternal damnation, they fail to consider Raakel's own vulnerabilities. Thesping throughout tends toward the histrionic. Tuomo Hutri's fine widescreen camerawork does a better job depicting the capital's worldly temptations than Aleksi Bardy's script. Costumes and makeup sometimes feel at odds with the story.

I had to laugh at that last comment. I don't know how 18-year old Laestadian girls dress in Ostrobothnia, but a reviewer would find the attire of most OALC girls QUITE at odds with religious modesty.

19 comments:

  1. Free, how can you describe the OALC girls attire? Is it too low-cut, too short skirt, etc.?

    I could have never imagined growing up that anyone in the world would have even HEARD about Apostolic Lutherans, make a movie of it no less. It is interesting that the film's English description described them in our American "apostolic Lutheran" rather than Laestadians. I know that most Apostolic Lutherans recoil at being described as "laestadian" except perhaps the LLC? I am from the upper midwest and find many people, even those familiar with Finnish culture, do not know about us. Films like this will make many people very frightened. Describing it to an outsider is even strange, "A Finnish protest form of Lutheranism that actually has Sami roots" leaves their head to spin.

    --Stranger in a Strange Land

    ReplyDelete
  2. This movie looks so good!

    And will probably make the Laestadians mad, but oh well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I saw a trailer of this upcoming movie a while ago when I was watching another movie but didn't realize it was about Laestadians. Definitely one to see!

    By the way, this is not the first mainstream movie with a Laestadian theme in Finland. A few years ago there was a movie called Pahat pojat/Bad Boys. It was based on a real story about four brothers who grew up in a small faction that broke away from the OALC in the 1960s. Their father had some mental problems and had problems supporting his family, and the boys ended up stealing things and eventually breaking into bank valves.

    ReplyDelete
  4. and let's not forget Sweden's Popular Musik fran Vittula.
    --Stranger in a Strange Land

    ReplyDelete
  5. To S-in-s-land from LLLreader. I remember talking to a Swedish college prof. about 35 years ago and being shocked that he knew of the Apostolic Church. I didn't know anything of Laestadius's background, that he was a well known botanist. At that time I actually believed that "the church" had somehow just appeared I guess--had no idea how it started. My professor friend also shared the term for the music, that slow measured way of singing--can't remember what it was-someone else might. I must have thought that the church developed in a vacuum.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What's with the Finnish girls and their short hair?????

    ReplyDelete
  7. I bet the movie is depicting the SRK in Finland, which is the equivalent of the LLC in the States. I am pretty sure they are the largest Laestadian group in Finland. The SRK (and the LLC) allows its women to cut thier hair.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What people fail to realize is that those of us who are part of this faith hold it as a gift, not a prison. We are just as everyone else on this earth but choose to try to live our lives in the way Christ would want. We believe that Jesus died on the cross for us to believe our sins forgiven. We don't judge others for not believing this way. It is offensive & frightening the way this film seems to depict Laestadianism but I know that those who created it do not understand- or aren't able to believe- the truth. In my childhood home, I was never "repressed"; I was loved & cherished by my parents & siblings- in a home that was happy, forgiving & free from the negative influences of our world today. I am thankful to have been born into a Laestadian Christian home but it was never something forceful or pushed upon me as this movie portrays. Faith is completely personal. I have realized through my travels and own life experiences that there is nothing as wonderful as or nowhere I feel safer & happier than belonging to this religion. Those who have left our faith know what I'm talking about...

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm happy for you that you've had such a wonderful experience. However, I hope you believe us when we say that The Christianity was most certainly pushed on US. I constantly felt the power of the hammer or hachet over my head if I didn't believe EXACTLY and ONLY what the OALC taught. I did not feel safe or happy... SISU

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous, to clarify, I suppose I felt safe and happy as long as I knew I needed to believe what was taught. Once I started to question and see with much clearer eyes, I knew what was taught was very short on Faith and very long on Belief, and I no longer felt safe. It took years and years to get to that point. SISU

    ReplyDelete
  11. SISU: I'm sorry that you had such a negative experience. It's sad that you felt like there was "a hammer over your head" because- it's really not supposed to be that way. Believing has to come freely- it can't be forced. Rebuking should come with a gentle and loving hand. No one is perfect - in any group, community, or religion- and we all fall. Some people are more judgemental than others, gossiping or pointing fingers if someone stands out. That doesn't mean that it's right. There are certain things in our faith that are discouraged & are sometimes hard to accept. But for me, dissecting those trivial things blurs the true meaning of our faith- being able to believe sins forgiven each day. That is the true joy of being a Laestadian. It's not always a wonderful life- especially with scorn from people who don't believe the same. But no life is wonderful all the time. There are days when it is difficult but when it comes down to it- are the pleasures of this world more "worth it"? Life is too short to risk it. The peace of being able to sleep with a clean conscience is a rare treasure indeed. I pray that I will always be able to remain in this faith. And for those who have had negative experiences- I'm sorry for the pain you went through and I hope someday you will find your way back.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I did not realize this was a blog for former Laestadians. I thought it was just a blog about this new Finnish movie, which is why I was sharing my thoughts so freely. Good luck to all of you...

    ReplyDelete
  13. "But for me, dissecting those trivial things blurs the true meaning of our faith- being able to believe sins forgiven each day. That is the true joy of being a Laestadian."

    As a former Leastadian, I still feel that way, except that I now replace the word "Laestadian" with simply "Christian" or "follower of Christ" to be biblical and Christ-like and not limited to one particular sect, or man, or generational "awakening" that started yet another new religion.

    So we have indeed "found our way back" to CHRIST :)

    ...and the details are indeed trivial blurs --as they should be... not make-or-break-salvation details as I have experienced in a Leastadian church.


    'The peace of being able to sleep with a clean conscience is a rare treasure indeed." A definate treasure, but not as rare as you might think for it is what Christ has promised to ALL who believe in and follow him, and has not limited to one type or brance or church or religion or faith :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Does anyone know how we here in America can obtain access to this movie? Is it available anywhere? I have done a bit of research on the internet and found very little information about the movie. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  15. You can find out more about the movie at imdb.com/title/tt 1188998.

    The Finnish name is "Kielletty hedelma" (the last "a" of that word has the 2 dots over it). The website said it is also known as "Jumalan lapset" (which means God's children)

    There was also a Swedish name, so I am wondering if the movie is in Finnish with Swedish subtitles and possibly English ones? I would love to see it to brush up on my Finnish.

    ReplyDelete
  16. All movies shown in movie theaters in Finland are in both Finnish and Swedish (if the language spoken in the movie is something else, then there are subtitles in both Finnish and Swedis, if the language spoken is Swedish, there are Finnish subtitles, and if the language spoken is Finnish, there are Swedish subtitles). Dvd:s sold in Finland usually have subtitles in many languages, also English.

    ---

    Today there will be a documentary ("Toksovan kummit") on a Finnish tv channel about a group of OALC Laestadians from Finland who are doing voluntary work (arranging youth camps, helping elderly, construction work) in a parish of the Lutheran church of Russia. The rumor says that they even filmed Finnish OALC preachers who regularly visit the area. I don't have a tv so I won't be able to watch it but I hope the tv channel will make it available on their website later (www.yle.fi).

    ReplyDelete
  17. "Toksovan kummit" can be found here: http://areena.yle.fi/toista?id=2003769&pladd=2003769 (I hope I got that right...) As Hibernatus says, the documentary does indeed feature two preachers: Olli, a recently retired police officer from Hämeenlinna, Southern Finland who works as a part-time pastor of the Church of Ingria (a Lutheran Church in Russia; a large proportion of its members are at least partially of Finnish descent) as well as Aulis, whose "civilian job" is that of a business executive. Almost all of the footage is from Russia (to be precise: Leningrad Oblast, to the southeast of Finland). The third-world-like poverty of the Russian countryside comes through in a rather poignant way; especially the old people, many of whom still speak Finnish (Finnish-language schools were closed by the Soviet authorities in the 1930s and the younger generations are overwhelmingly Russian-speaking) are heartbreaking to watch. On a lighter note: the Laestadian volunteers from Finland (many of whom have brought some of their children with them), together with Russian Lutherans, help to run the local Lutheran summer camps for children and the kids (both Russian and Finnish), of course, totally steal the show. There are several quite funny scenes, as when Russian kids are duly impressed whem a Finnish girl tells them that she has two sisters and six brothers and when a little Russian girl, visibly astonished by the fact that her Finnish friend of about the same age can't make the sign of the cross in a proper way, sets out to show her in detail how it's done (as I understand, it's very common for Russian Lutherans to cross themselves in the Eastern Orthodox way and to have icons in their homes). The documentary can be watched at the YLE website until next wednesday. I recommend it.
    Another Finn

    ReplyDelete
  18. As for "Kielletty hedelmä/Förbjuden frukt/Forbidden fruit", its official website is here: http://www.kiellettyhedelma.fi/ The material on the website includes, among other things, a trailer, a shorter "teaser" and a music video by Hanna Pakarinen, about half of which consists of footage from "Forbidden fruit".
    Another Finn

    ReplyDelete
  19. The bitterness about our personal faith is frightening. Why someone would want to create a film about God's Kingdom leaves me speechless and with a feeling of sadness for those who have not yet received the grace of repentence. I pray for each of you that one day God would open the doors for you so that you could one day rest in eternal life in Heaven. I have not ever felt oppressed by my faith because it has uplifted me and helped me see the miracles, joys, happiness and most importantly, forgiveness. God is a loving God and cares for each one of us. For you that have given up your faith, God's word says it is caused because of sin and disobedience. But you know, God does not forget you who have given up. In your conscience God still exists. Everyone's faith needs care. The joy of having faith is that I can put all of my sins away and as someone else has mentioned "sleep peacefully at night," knowing that if I die today, I pray I'll die a beleiver. True repentence is when the gospel of the forgiveness of sins is preached and my sins are washed away forever. As I leave with my comments behind, I'll say an extra pray for you that God would someday open the gates for each one of you.

    ReplyDelete