Nordisk Panorama 2024: Hard to Break (by Anna-Maija Heinonen & Krista Moisio) | Review

If Finland consistently ranks among the countries that most prioritize the well-being of children, the reality is quite different for a segment of Finnish youth. Highly active on social media, Atte and Jonsu, two Finnish teenagers, have gained some notoriety by regularly filming themselves at excessively boozy parties. Atte, just turned 18, lives in a social welfare-provided housing unit, from which he is frequently evicted for noise disturbances and consumption of alcohol and drugs. Before this, he spent several years in a foster family where he suffered physical abuse. To calm his gnawing anxiety, he alternates between tranquilizers and alcohol. Jonsu, on the other hand, was recently placed in an institution. A victim of school bullying, she began hanging out with Atte’s circle of friends and was dragged into this destructive spiral of excess. Faced with the situation, her family called on child protection services. In Hard to Break, Anna-Maija Heinonen and Krista Moisio followed the escapades of these two Finnish teenagers, who had been removed from their families and placed into care, over several months. The feature-length documentary, which premiered at the 2024 Tampere Film Festival where it won the Main Prize in the national competition for films over 30 minutes, was later presented in the prestigious Nordic Competition at CPH:DOX 2024, and has just been showcased at Nordisk Panorama 2024.

The child protection system in Finland allows families to seek government assistance in raising their children. In the most complex cases, the child may be placed in an institution or foster family to receive appropriate support and a more suitable living environment for their development. In Hard to Break, the two directors highlight the challenges faced by Finnish youth and the persistent social determinism, despite the aid provided by the state. This distress manifests in the development of addictions and self-destructive behaviors.

In terms of directing, Hard to Break primarily employs direct cinema, allowing us to empathize with the troubles of these two youths while maintaining the right distance—neither too close nor overly judgmental or complacent. Additionally, the film often takes on a playful aspect by presenting clips from their social media, accompanied by the unfiltered reactions of Atte and Jonsu’s followers in animated form. This motif illustrates the omnipresence of social media in the lives of the two teenagers. Lacking a place in reality, they somehow find refuge into this virtual world, where they are recognized and idolized by their community.

In their approach, the two directors, marking their debut feature film, are far from complacent. The climax is probably the scene of Atte’s first YouTube video shoot. Behind the camera, Anna-Maija Heinonen and Krista Moisio witness the sad spectacle of Atte, in the company of a few friends, consuming alcohol until he vomits into makeshift garbage bags amid the chaos of his apartment. The filmmakers focus primarily on the evolution of the two teenagers over time, on their capacity for resilience. Through the encounters they have, Atte and Jonsu gradually distance themselves from their toxic relationship, each trying to find their way in society.

Hard to Break is a powerful testament to the malaise of a youth struggling to break free from social determinism and the cycles of violence that plague our “developed” societies. A youth that is rarely listened to, one that is helped with subsidies rather than understanding and effective support structures.

Hard to Break is an official selection of Malmö-based Nordisk Panorama, whose 35th edition is running on September 19-24, 2024.