Kirsikka Saari
Biography
Kirsikka Saari is a screenwriter-director based in Helsinki. She was Oscar nominated for the short film Do I Have to Take Care of Everything? (2012). She wrote the script for Stupid Young Heart which won the Crystal Bear in Berlinale and Jussi Award for the Best Screenplay. Her works as a screenwriter-director include the collaborative film Force of Habit and awarded short films After the Reunion and Super Comfort. She has written a critically acclaimed novel and play for the Finnish National Theatre (Depression Comedy, co-written with Jenni Toivoniemi). She has graduated from the Helsinki University and ELO Film School Helsinki in Aalto University.
Known For & Full Filmography3 Titles
Drama Series - 2014, 16 episodes • as Sosiaaliviranomainen
Like good soldiers in a war-zone, hospital staff are expected to respect the chain of command when dealing with life and death situations. But what happens when smug doctors, arrogant surgeons, and out-of-touch administrators make that easier said than done? Nurses deals with the professional and personal lives of four female colleagues who cope in different ways with the challenges of life on the trauma ward. With determination, strength, and a dark sense of humor, they achieve the demanding and inspiring task of saving lives in a system that sometimes seems designed to do the opposite.
Movie - 2026, 2h 15m • as Ykkösfani
Kaija Koo is one of the most popular artists in Finnish pop music and power ballads. The biopic follows Kaija Koo's journey through music and life as she navigates through her challenges and finds true freedom in her personal and professional life. From an insecure young woman, she grows into an independent and strong woman whose personal growth story, and especially the songs that emerge from it, will empower many generations.
Movie - 2017, 2h 15m • as Woman at the Bar
Miami is the story of two sisters who have grown up separately. The older sister, Angela, is an exotic dancer with her own touring dance group. The younger, Anna, on the threshold of adulthood, lives in a small town working in sales. When their father dies, Anna looks for and finds Angela. The fascinating, high-strung Angela asks the timid Anna to accompany her on tour and, before long, trouble from Angela’s past catches up to them and the sisters’ love is put to the test.