Maa (2001)

A look at the 5 years since Finland's entrance into the European Union (EU). Filming began in 1996, but the seismic shift in the country's values began in the 60s and remains a powerful aspect of people's lives- most Finns are only two generations removed from rural life. The film contrasts five individuals living in three regions, recording their attempts to save what is left of their lifestyles. Frustrated by the bureaucracy, some give up because they are unable to expand or update their farms to meet the needs of an already over-taxed marketplace. Others enjoy small, Pyrrhic victories, saving their local schoolhouses from extinction, if only for a little while. One family embraces the new economy by diversifying and starting a side business making furniture. Ironically, the business becomes more successful than the farm whose income it was meant to supplement. Finland's membership in the Union is seen as a double-edged sword, forcing domestic industries to compete on an international scale.