The Winter War (film)

The Winter War
Finnish DVD cover
Directed byPekka Parikka
Written byPekka Parikka
Antti Tuuri
Based onTalvisota
by Antti Tuuri
Produced byMarko Röhr
StarringTaneli Mäkelä
Vesa Vierikko
Timo Torikka
Mika Heikki Paavilainen
Antti Raivio
Esko Kovero
Martti Suosalo
Markku Huhtamo
Konsta Mäkelä
Distributed byNational-Filmi
Release dates
  • 30 November 1989 (1989-11-30) (Finland)
  • December 1989 (1989-12) (U.S.)
Running time
197 minutes (original cut)
127 minutes (international cut)
CountryFinland
LanguageFinnish
Box office628,767 admissions (Finland)

The Winter War (Finnish: Talvisota) is a 1989 Finnish war film directed by Pekka Parikka, and based on the 1984 novel Talvisota by Antti Tuuri. It is set in the 1939 Winter War and tells the story of a Finnish infantry regiment from Southern Ostrobothnia fighting on the Karelian Isthmus, focusing mainly on a platoon of reservists from Kauhava.

The Winter War was released in Finland on 30 November 1989. It was Finland's most popular film with over 600,000 admissions. It won six Jussi Awards and was Finland's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 63rd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.