MADAME PRESIDENT

Directed by: Aleksi Bardy
Original Title: Rouva Presidentti
Genres: Documentary
Written by: Aleksi Bardy, Osku Pajamäki
Produced by: Osku Pajamäki, Miia Haavisto
Production Company: Funny Films Oy, Helsinki Filmi Oy
Production year: 2010, 2011
Release year: 2012
Country: Finland
Language: Finnish, English, Swedish
Duration: 52 / 90 min
Subtitled Versions: English

Synopsis:

This is a revelatory documentary about a remarkable woman, who also happens to be the first female president of Finland, and has held the post for 12 years. MADAME PRESIDENT shows us the many sides of a complex character – a woman who can fret about her looks while contemplating such weighty matters as global sustainability. We see her bagging out her staff for putting too much work on her husband’s shoulders and we see her comically running from a bee at a meeting with the US ambassador. But also revealed is a principled woman, ready to stand up for such things as women’s rights, and a staunch supporter for the gay and lesbian community. This film is a portrait of a extraordinary woman, and it’s a film about the mechanisms of power, both personal and institutional.