Film screening: Sudden Outbursts of Emotion

“An insightful, compassionate, and witty debut”

See Sudden Outbursts of Emotions, a tender dramedy about the complexities of modern love and mid-life crises!

Travel agent Jane (Iina Kuustonen) lives a comfortable, stable yuppie existence in Helsinki with Mikki (Riku Nieminen), her theatre-actor boyfriend of 10 years. While their sex life appears active and content on the surface, Jane is thrown for a loop when Mikki suggests trying an “open relationship” to spice things up. Jane is initially resistant but eventually agrees to attend an exclusive sex-positive weekend retreat, where the 40-ish couple can explore other romantic pursuits. While Mikki wanders off, Jane bumps into Valma (Laura Malmivaara), a free-spirited woman and veteran of the polyamorous lifestyle, who encourages Jane to explore hidden facets of her love language. As their bond deepens, Jane finds herself navigating unfamiliar territory—desire, jealousy, and self-discovery—while her once-stable life begins to unravel. What began as an experiment in freedom becomes a profound turning point that challenges everything Jane thought she knew about relationships.

This debut feature from Finnish TV writer/director Paula Korva, could be called a “rom-dramedy” for its skillful depiction of the awkwardness, excitement, and befuddlement felt by newbies to the 3D chess game of polyamory. Korva treats her characters with grace and humor, allowing them room to evolve gradually in this modern spin on the joys and absurdities of gender-fluid dating.