JANUARY 19, 2017 // 17
Naselle film screenings kick off
2017 Finland 100 celebrations
NASELLE, Wash. — After being
under Swedish rule from
1150-1809, and being a Grand
Duchy of Russia from 1809 to
1917, Finland finally gained
its independence on Dec. 6,
1917.
To celebrate Finland’s
100th year anniversary, Fin-
land 100 was formed. During
2017, activities involving
Finnish culture will occur all
over Finland, Canada and the
United States. These include
concerts, lectures, cooking
classes, films, even a traveling
sauna.
Local events will happen
on both sides of the lower
Columbia River as well as in
Portland and Seattle.
The Appelo Archives
Center has set up a special
display that will be on view
for all of 2017. It is housed
in a display case donated by
Messiah Lutheran Church
of Portland. The items being
displayed were donated by
Donald Klebe of Walla Walla,
Washington. His brother-in-
law served during the Winter
War in Finland. Some of the
items include spurs he wore
during that war, his service
medals, and his certificates
signed by Gen. Mannerheim.
The Appelo Archives
Center is located at 1056
Washington State Route 4
‘UNDER THE
NORTH STAR’:
PART ONE
10:30 a.m. Saturday,
Jan. 21
Appelo Archives
Center
1056 WSR 4, Naselle,
Wash.
$5 suggested dona-
tion
Not recommended
for children
two miles east of the schools
in Naselle. It is open from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday
through Friday and from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
The first special local
event is the showing of the
film “Under the North Star” at
the Appelo Archives Center. It
will be screened at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21.
“To understand Finland
and the Finns one needs only
read one book: ‘Under the
North Star,’ by Väinö Linna,”
said Esko Aho. This historical
trilogy, written in Finnish
from1959 to 1962, was trans-
lated into English by Richard
Impola in 2001. The trilogy
has been considered the most
significant novel published
in Finland between 1917 and
1997. It won the Nordic Prize
for Literature in 1965.
In 2009, a film adaption
was produced in Finland. The
screenplay was written by
Timo Koivusalo, who also di-
rected the film. Stars are Ilkka
Koivula, Vera Kiiskinen and
Risto Tuorila. It was nominat-
ed for five Jussi (equivalent of
Oscars) awards the following
year: Best Film, two Support-
ing Actors, Best Supporting
Actress, and Costume Design.
Part One covers the years
1884 to 1907. Jussi Koske-
la is a tenant farmer on a
parsonage estate in the rural
village of Pentti’s Corner
in south central Finland.
He lives there with his wife
and three sons struggling to
turn wild swampland into
productive farming land. At
this same time, Finland is
becoming more secularized,
socialist thought is becom-
ing more popular, and the
labor movement is gaining
momentum. National news-
papers such as Suometar,
The Worker (Työmies), and
the People’s Journal (Kansan
Lehti) are gaining readership.
The Russian czar, meanwhile,
is attempting to curb the Finns’
nation building. Tension
increases between tenants and
landowners. Jussi’s son, Akse-
li, becomes an active socialist.
In addition, the upper classes
are upset with language strife
and their homeland’s relation-
ship with Russia.
There is no admission
charge for the film screen-
ing, but donations of $5 are
recommended. The film is
193 minutes and is in Finnish
with English subtitles. It is
not recommended for chil-
dren due to sexual content
and nudity, violence and
gore, frightening/intense
scenes, profanity, and alco-
hol/drugs/smoking.
Part Two of the film will
be shown at the Appelo
Archives Center on the fol-
lowing Saturday, Jan. 28, at
10:30 a.m. Part Two covers
the third book of the trilogy,
“The Reconciliation,” which
deals with the aftermath of
the Civil War in Finland, the
Lapua movement of 1929 to
1932, the depression in the
1930s, the Winter War of
1939 to 1940, the Continu-
ation War of 1941 to 1944,
and finally the calm of the
post-World War II years. It
includes the history of the
Koskela family in these
events.
For more information on
Finland 100 events, check
out the websites for Appelo
Archives Center, the Finnish
American Folk Festival of
Naselle, Columbia Pacific
Chapter Finlandia Founda-
tion, Nordic House, and the
Nordic Heritage Museum.
Register now for Astoria
Parks’ Run on the River
ASTORIA — Is your New
Year’s Resolution is to start
running in 2017?
Astoria Parks and Recre-
ation has a good motivation
to kick start your training:
It’s the fourth annual Run on
the River.
This annual run is set for
May 21 and features a 5K,
10K or half marathon course
on the Astoria Riverwalk.
If you register before
April 25, you can save $10.
The 5K costs $35 and the
10K costs $50.
The half marathon costs
$85. But, if you register as a
group of six or more for the
half marathon, you save $10
each, making the price $75.
This year’s run is spon-
sored by Buoy Beer Co.
For more information and
to register, visit astoriaparks.
com
CARRUTHERS
1198 Commercial Street
Astoria, Oregon 97103
503.975.5305
Happy Hour
Tuesday-Friday
4pm-6pm and
8:30-Close
A RT C ARDS ,
A RTISAN C RAFTS ,
G ALLERY &
W ORKING S TUDIO
1133 Commercial St. Astoria
503.468.0308
WINDLESS KITE FESTIVAL
Astounding Performances
Saturday and Sunday
January 21st & 22nd, 2017
9:00AM to 3:00PM
Featured Flyer Scott Weider