The Last Ones
We draw the harsh but oh-so-beautiful tundra of Lapland. In this almost mystical landscape, a mine harbors in the deeply frozen ground. Hidden far underground, hard-working miners toil and scarred by their hard labor regularly clash with their supervisor. Among the miners is Rupi. He is torn between loyalty to his father, an indigenous reindeer herder, and the manipulative owner of the mine. Who is cunningly trying to drive the herder off his land in order to expand the mine. To top it off, during these tensions several men in the settlement meanwhile compete for the hand of the very beautiful and enchanting Riita.
Director Veiko Õunpuu studied literature, semiotics and painting and is known for his mostly slow artistic films with eccentric characters. With The Last Ones, Õunpuu delivers a modern 'Nordic Western' that unfolds against a majestic landscape and also serves as a colorful indictment of exploitation and greed in a world where capitalism reigns supreme.