01x11 - Urjan linna

[bunniefuu]

Part 11: Castle of Urja
In July 1988

Is there something wrong
with the machine?

No, I’m just maintaining it.

Listen, I would need to go to Helsinki tomorrow.
I have a couple of important meetings there.

Well, you sure are traveling like
there’s no tomorrow these days.

It’s a must if we want to
get benefits to this wilderness area.

So, I won’t be able to
help with the barn work.

I understand that if you’re
going to be in Helsinki.

I just meant to ask how
you and Mom will manage.

We’ve managed since 1946.

By the way, Vartanen will come to pick up
this machine tomorrow for the road construction site.

Just so you know.

By the way, Mom asked if you could haul a
few loads of sand for the sauna road to Kalajärvi.

The professor has completely ruined that
road with their drilling work.

Yeah.

Well, I guess I could do that.

But honestly, it would only be fair if
the professor contributed to the maintenance costs.

He is the ones who ruined
it in the first place.

Do you think he’ll pay anything?

He haven’t spent a penny during
the whole time he's been here.

How come they’re driving
across our land anyway?

That’s from Niilo
Romppainen’s lot division.

It’s an old custom that if there’s a
road, nobody can really object to it.

But you go fix that road
and send the professor the bill.

Good heavens, the yard is full of
machines—you can hardly get to the barn.

This is the modern time.

I’ve paid the grocery bills,
insurance premiums, and loan repayments.

What bills you're going to pay?

Don’t you understand that when two people in a
family earn money, the expenses are also split?

Yeah, but what if
one doesn’t have money?

A man your age should
be able to support himself.

We’re living off my salary.

As soon as I get things
sorted out at the company, then...

Yeah, sure, “then.”

She looks exactly like Liisa.

Well, just look at it.

Where’s the Talakka forest?

Kaukovaara's forest. It must be Liisa.

Has she been arrested?

Looks like it.

Oh, dear Lord!

She has learned that fussing from you.

Liisa is completely societly inactive.

She’s just as lazy as you.

I'm gonna call Leppävaara.

Don’t. We'll manage here just fine. You'll
just wear yourself out for no reason.

Yeah, you just go
inside. Make some coffee.

If there's coffee needed here, it's you,
Dad, who'll have time to make it.

Stop talking rubbish. Women make coffee at
home, and men in the logging forest.

Good heavens, you're so old-fashioned.

Antti, you go feed your horse.

Let’s switch these.

So, how are things
at the healthcare center?

Don’t you remember I
have patient confidentiality?

Well, I can reveal this much: I’ll start
a week-long vacation in a couple of days.

I thought I’d pop over to Tampere
to take care of a few things.

Oh, this place is turning into a travel agency now,
with Erkki heading to Helsinki tomorrow with the mayor.

Right, and Jaana and Jaakko are
moving from Sotkamo to Tampere.

By the way, the horse
is Liisa’s, not mine.

Oh? - Hey, where’s Liisa anyway? I need
to have a word with her.

I don’t know where she went.

At Leppävaara. Hi.

Oh, well, he’s not home right
now, he went to Helsinki.

Yes. No, he’s not.

We’re swamped with work
for the TVH boys...

...and we can’t take on
any new jobs right now.

That’s right.

It’s tricky to hire
from elsewhere, I understand.

But if you’re ready to pay overtime rates, then
maybe we could try to work something out.

That’s right.

I’m not promising anything, but I
could discuss it with Erkki.

Yes.

Alright, goodbye.

Who was that?

A shopkeeper from town. I was just
handling a bit of company-client relations.

You were handling what?

He was asking about the possibility of digging
a pit, and I told him, “We’ll see.”

Hey! Where have you been?

Hi..

Long time no see.

I’ve been traveling a bit.

Oh yeah, heard you were in Helsinki.

That’s right.

What kind of business? Municipal?

Not really. Or, well, I guess it
does concern the municipality in a way.

What kind of business?

It’s confidential.

Oh come on, you can tell me.
I'm the chairman of
the Municipal Council.

I promised not to. It’s
kind of a business secret.

The matter will become public only once the
official documents are submitted to the municipality.

That’s just the way it is.

Hi.

Oh, hello.

It was good that I saw you both.

Could we go through the healthcare
center’s new acquisitions and bids today?

Yeah, sure.

I’m good with that. Just before five.

Yeah.

Works for me, too. Absolutely
fine. Always have time...

...for medical science, especially for the
representative of the more beautiful gender.

By the way, where’s Erkki? I’ve been trying
to reach him but haven’t had any luck.

Why don’t you ask Tolonen? He
was with him in Helsinki.

He thought Erkki might stop by Tampere
first, but he should be home tomorrow.

Bye.

Alright.

Thanks.

Goodbye.

Reima and Jyrki!

Yeah, what is it?

I’d like to officially inform you gentlemen that
I’ve just spoken with the Finnish Fair Corporation.

This means that the Ministry of
Trade and Industry has asked...

...us to participate in
building the FinFinland campaign.

And the main exhibition in Frankfurt.

And this, gentlemen, means some money.

How much?

Well, I don’t know.

Yeah, we’ll need to submit
an official bid first.

Oh, so this isn’t
officially our job yet.

Officially.

Officially, officially.

I did, however, get a small hint about what the price
needs to be under for us to be the cheapest one.

Just don’t price it so low that it turns
into another disaster like the Turku boat project.

There was no profit
left for the company.

Oh, come on.

That didn’t go well, but...

We could fix things with
this project, couldn’t we?

Exactly. Good point, Jyrki.

An exhibition in Japan is coming up.

Also Copenhagen Weeks and the whole package
until the end of the year.

The idea is to reuse the
FinFinland materials at these events.

Hello, boss.

Ah, that could actually be quite...

Erkki! What are you doing here?

Oh, I’m on my way
home. I was in Helsinki.

Hang on, I’m coming.

- Let’s continue, let’s continue.

I'm gonna have a meeting.

Hi.

Hello.

How’s it going?

Well, it’s starting to move along.

Money worries, of course. The capital
is running a bit low.

Oh, really?

Do you have a lot of problems?

No, no, no. It’s just...

There’s practically no cash.

Yeah.

Could take out an
expensive bank loan, but...

I’d rather just sell my car.

Oh, I see.

Right.

Small expenses, big income.

That keeps the house standing, right?

Unless taxes take it all.

True.

But...

If you’re selling the car...

Feel free to turn to me with confidence.

What?

Yeah.

I’ve been thinking of getting just
something like this for myself.

Really?

It’s got the phones and...

Yeah, yeah, it does.

Everything you need.

I do sell, yes.

Really?

Yes.

Really?

Yes, yes.

Uh...

What does Raija say if you sell it?

Raija doesn’t...

Raija doesn’t understand.

A wife is a wife.

Yes, I understand, I understand.

Yes.

But listen, uh...

I came to... Oh, sorry.

I came to take a little
look at your house services.

Have I understood correctly that
you’ve made scale models before?

Yes.

Yes, we have.

Uh...

What would it cost if...

If you made me one like this?

So... Is this your Urja castle?

Aha.

Little brother.

Isn’t it wonderful?

Yes.

Give it like this, and
it’ll start liking you.

But can you give sugar to horses?

Won’t it get cavities?

Well, let's wash in afterwards.

Go on, give it.

Like this.

There, see how it likes
it. Give it another.

There.

Hello!

This is Osmo.

Say hello.

Hello.

Hello.

We were at the
Talakka (forest) back then.

Ah, well, welcome to Leppävaara.

Thank you, thank you.

Nice to get to
know traditional Finnish livelihoods.

Hello, hello.

Hello.

So, what kind of man is this Osmo?

He’s from Helsinki.

Ah, so a capital resident.
How’s the president doing?

Good, I guess. No complaints when I
came here to protect Finland’s ancient forests.

Do you own any forest yourself?

Not a single centimeter.

I’ve sometimes thought, is it right
to protect someone else’s property?

Well, the impacts are shared.

Yeah, yeah, at least it’s had
a good impact on Kaukovaara.

Has the professor had coffee yet?

I don’t drink coffee, but
tea, yes, thank you.

Ah, Annikki, let’s make some
coffee then, and "zaju" (tea).

Alright, let’s go then.

Dear passengers, welcome to Turku.

There is a bus connection to
Naantali from the Railway Square.

We thank all passengers,
welcome onboard again.

*In Swedish* Ladies and gentlemen, we
shall shortly arrive in Turku.

*In Swedish* There is a bus connection
to Naantali from the Railway Square.

*In Swedish* We thank all
passengers, welcome onboard again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we shall
shortly arrive in Turku."

Stop it.

Stop it.

Hey, why don't we stay here in Turku?

Yeah, let’s buy a bed and move here.

No, I mean now here.

Huh?

No, we must depart to
Parainen, dad is waiting.

Okay.

Let’s take a look at
those armors over there.

Incredibly small.

It’s funny when you don’t realize how small
humans were until you see something like that.

They would probably be too
small for me too.

We could try them on for you.

If it’s too loose, the
janitor has a whistle.

Thanks, I just want to look this time.

Okay.

By the way, should we go
and see Kaarina Maununtytär's grave?

She was this person from another town,
and moved here because of love.

Well, then we must see it.

*Swedish* *Look who's coming
or something like that...*

Hi Joppe! Hi.

Good day.
- Good day.

*Swedish* So dad, this is Eeva.

Welcome here at Södergård farm.

Thank you.

*Swedish* Hello to you.

Step in, please.

You're from coutryside, if
I understood correct?

Yeah. - May I help?
Thank you.

My parents are farmers in Kainuu.

Yes, now you have to settle for the food I
make because we don’t have a woman in the house.

My wife Anja, Stig’s mother, passed away already in '79, and since then
I’ve been taking care of this alone. But now, come further in, please.

You can’t get housekeepers
these days anymore.

Yeah, I don’t think you can.

Don’t you manage the
whole place by yourself?

Well, not exactly.

I have a few people on the payroll at the
greenhouse, but I do the actual farming by myself.

It goes well now that
we’ve given up cattle.

Yes, you don’t have any cattle at all. For
us, it’s the only thing that makes sense.

We gave it up when
I was three years old.

Well, I think you were five.

It’s really different here in the
south compared to the north.

Milk production is probably the only
thing that keeps the farm running.

Yes, and the forest.

It’s kind of crazy that a boy who graduated as a forester
ends up taking care of a farm with no real forest.

Please, sit down. I’ll go get some food.

Why didn’t you tell me
this place is so amazing?

Yes? - What the hell are you trying to say,
that you’re billing yourself for TVL at cost price?

And apparently, you still
bill TVL full price.

Where did you get such information?

From where you usually get it.
I went to the accounting office.

You’ve got a bit of the wrong information. You should
have asked me, I would have explained it to you.

You didn’t need to run to the
accounting office. See, asking clears things up.

Well, explain this TVL billing, and it
better be a damn good explanation.

Well, first of all, the billing
happens exactly as we agreed.

For the work that is done
on the road constuction site.

Our company bills TVL directly.

But this gravel, this is mine.

And for that, I bill TVL.

And the work done here is
billed at our cost price.

You managed to sneak that
clause into the company agreement.

Thanks for that.

You, f*ck you...

I would’ve never figured
that out myself.

You think you can cope in this business?

And then there’s another thing.

Could you tell me what you
did in Helsinki with the mayor?

The accounting office didn’t
have any valid answer.

Well, of course, they didn’t, because
that’s not the company’s business.

What I did in Helsinki is my business.

If it concerns you, you’ll
be notified well before.

And what’s this?

It’s a car. Mine.

Whose deposit was it purchased with?

Definitely not the company’s.

Reima!

- Yes?

Once the scale model is ready.

Pack it well so
it can withstand transport.

Where should we ship it?

Contractor Erkki Metsola.

89777.

Hoikka.

Alright.

Okay.

By the way, Eeva.

So, once you're gratuated, where
are you gonna work?

I don’t know yet.

You don’t know?

Come here to Parainen.

I must stay here to
take care of my father.

There could be a small problem on that.

Well?

I don’t speak Swedish well.

You can manage.

Or maybe you could take
a language course for me.

It’d be terrible if I prescribed
throat medicine for rectal issues.

Hi.
- Hi.

Listen hey, the briefing for the council
members would need to be held now.

The Finnish Tourist Board called; they
are ready to support the project.

The same goes for the
Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Really? When did you hear?

Just a moment ago. They
called from the parliament.

They said, they they're
showing green light.

Well that's great.

Now we would need to get
the Regional Development Fund on board.

True.

I think the council members would need to
be briefed, before the case goes public

Kari already came after me. He
suspects something is going on.

So he came after me too, in the morning.

Sure we can have the briefing.

But how we're gonna keep
the press out of there?

Since I wouldn't this to go public, before
I have settled things with Regional Development Fund

to ensure that the matter is
clear on their part as well.

I see I see, but you can't keep the
press out of the council meeting in any way.

It's against the law.

Municipal council meetings
are public events.

We could handle it so that you hold a separate briefing
for the council members right after the municipal council meeting.

Then we can kick the press out.

Well is it possible to handle tha way?
- Yes yes, of course.

Is next week okay?

Yes, that works.

Alright, let’s handle it then.

By the way, why were
you coming from unemployment agency?

Are you looking for a new job?

No, not a new job.

But I need more people to do that.

Yeah, yeah.

The mail arrived.

Here are letters for Erkki.

From Kera, Hera, KTM, and
there’s a package card too.

We only got the Kainuu newspaper
and a card for you.

A card? For me? From whom?

From abroad. From Järvi.

From Järvi?

I don’t know anyone named Järvi.

Where is the card?

What?

Well, surely we should reward
the mailman a bit.

Give me the card, the
old man’s messing with it.

Here you go.

This isn’t from Järvi.

It’s from Heikki and Kristiina.

Yes, I said from
lake (järvi in Finnish).

Not from Järvi.

They’re sailing in lake
Meilari (something like that).

They're not coming here this summer.

And their cottage project didn’t work out,
even though they got the lot.

That’s unfortunate, they should’ve come.

Yeah.

Where does this go?

It comes into the living
room, to this corner.

Wait a minute.

Oh no, there are the doors.

Well, it won’t fit there.

Well, move it there.

What a shame.

I was supposed to but a bookshelf there.

What do you read, which is better
there, the bar counter or the bookshelf?

Well, I’m not sure.

Where should I put the flower?

And these plants?

This apartment is so small.

Where is this coming?

It’s coming into the bedroom.

Where’s the bedroom then?

Back, then left.

What you have there?

A package from Risto.

What’s Risto sending you?

Such a huge package.

What’s inside?

A surprise.

This is definitely ill*gal.

Public council meetings are public.

Well, that's true, but the
council meeting has already ended.

An entrepreneur is just sharing information
with a council member there.

It's a private event.

Only officials and council
members are invited.

What’s so secret about it?

I don’t think there’s anything.

The public is demanding information.

They have the right to information.

What kind of information should
be shared with them?

What do they want?

Well, about what you’re planning
to discuss behind closed doors.

It’s in the public's interest to be informed,
and also in the interest of the citizens.

Yeah, but this isn’t a municipal event, and
nothing is being discussed behind closed doors.

The purpose is just that an entrepreneur, at his
own request, can share information with council members.

But who is the entrepreneur?

Excuse me.

Erkki Metsola.

Can we interview him?

Well, you’ll have to ask
him after this event.

Since when has Erkki Metsola been
some kind of an entrepreneur.

Erkki has always tried,
but he hasn’t succeeded.

On the ski track, that is.

The eternal second place athlete.

Let’s welcome Erkki Metsola.

He invited us here.

So I’ll give him the floor right away, and
maybe the reason we’re here will become clear.

Please, Erkki.

Yeah, thank you.

Honorable council members.

First of all, I want to thank you for giving
me the opportunity to come here and present my case.

And I would like to start this event
talking a bit about employment and unemployment.

These are essential issues
here in Kainuu.

In this municipality, the unemployment
rate is currently 15.5%.

That’s a little better than last
year when it was 17.5%.

But in the long term,
it’s been even worse.

Over the past 25 years, it’s
been from 12 to even 20%.

At the same time, the municipality of Hoikka has lost a third of
its population, who have had to move elsewhere to secure their families' livelihood.

Every family in this municipality
knows what unemployment is.

Every family has someone who has at some point been to
the unemployment office or received assistance from the municipality’s social services.

We know unemployment; we are
experts in that field.

If we can’t handle unemployment,
or at least reduce it...

What do you say, those were
quite some news from Leppävaara.

I told you Erkki had some
ulterior motive with that Urja lot.

But it was quite
a smart ulterior motive.

Soon he will make a ton of money.

I don’t understand, though, where he got
the collateral for the whole thing.

Why didn’t you realize earlier that
he was up to something?

Now we’re completely left out.

Jaana, I’m just a bank
manager, not some mind reader.

Then do something.

What? Buy Erkki’s
company, or Leppävaara?

Erkki’s company is nothing than
an over-indebted excavation company.

You don't think it's a business?

No way.

Look, there’s work as long as construction
work is being done, but what then?

But Erkki has that gravel pit.

Yeah, and gravel he sold to the TVL.

There are plenty of
excavators in Kainuu.

I still don’t understand where
he got the collateral from.

He must act as a
front for some investor.

What does that mean?

A front?

Yes.

It acts in someone else's name.

Oh, right.

This still didn't pass.

That meeting sure is taking a while.

It's like a year of famine.

When it's gonna end?

We just started it.

Antti, leave it. I'll help.

What’s that you’ve got there?

It's a Christmas gift.

Oh, even a gift. And
for whom, and from whom?

Well, you’ll have to ask Santa himself.

But if you're really kind, maybe there’ll
be a little something for you too.

When I was a competitive athlete, I had the chance to
visit various leisure centers both abroad and here at home.

And now, I would suggest that we
build a ski resort here in Hoikka.

I have a small model
here that I had made.

Here.

The ski resort would be
located on these Urja slopes.

Where there would be
the actual ski slopes.

In the first phase, we would build a double
chairlift up to the top of the slopes.

So, up here.

This here is the Leppävaara house.
This is the new road.

Next, we would build lifts for the
third and fourth slopes as well.

At the base of the hill, we would
create a caravan area for 200 caravans.

And also service buildings,

which would house a ski
rental and a café.

But you can’t start something like
this without the state being involved.

Especially if you don't have the
Tourism Promotion Center's supporting statement.

Yes, if I may continue, I was just about to say that I’ve obtained
their supporting statement as well as funding from the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

That is, startup funding
and marketing funding.

So, all the funding that
you can usually get.

If I may ask the municipal secretary to distribute the project’s
financial plan to you, which shows how the project is financed.

The project will receive grants from the Ministry of Trade
and Industry, which will cover half of the construction costs.

I’ll do the earth-moving work myself, and I will
also transfer my own land to the new company.

This way, we get capital for the company so that both
own equity and foreign risk capital are in the right proportion.

Well, they’ve set a
price for the land...

You can’t have that kind
of price on a slope.

The land that expensive?

We all know that one can get a
hectare from here for 2,000-3,000 marks per hectare.

90,000 marks per hectare.

I wonder if Erkki Metsola has ever
heard the word imagination or overpricing?

We’re not being fooled that easily.

Yes, if I may continue, the councillors will find the justification for
the price estimate in their papers, as well as proof of it.

That is,

I’ve purchased the land from Kari Kaukovaara from the
top of Urja according to that price estimate.

And at the same time, I would like to point out that
both the ministry and the banks have approved these pricing principles.

What do you want from us?

The municipality doesn't own any land,
nor anything else from Urja.

The rest of the financing should come from the development
fund, and they require a municipal guarantee for their loan.

So now, you want us to
give you the municipal guarantee?

But you don’t even have
collateral for the municipality.

For collateral, I would give a company mortgage on
the new company and mortgage for the land area.

And if I may add at the end, we
should check how this would affect the employment situation.

Let’s compare it with the information extracted from the
municipal union’s general letter. It’s also in your papers.

The Pudasjärvi ski resort has created 70 direct jobs
and around 140-150 indirect jobs in the entire municipality.

And while I’m no forecaster, according to
the Ministry of Trade and Industry's calculations,

this will create around 20 jobs and
an additional 10-15 people during peak times.

Indirect jobs would amount to around 40-50
in the municipality in the first year.

So, the employment impact of this project
in our municipality would indeed be significant.

The meeting has ended.

Councilor Arni Kemppainen, what exactly
is the issue here?

Ask Erkki over there.

The land, of course, will rise in price.

I don’t understand, since it could be obtained cheaply at the
Russian border, yet somehow it rises in price by speculation.

Erkki Metsola, what is the issue with this ski center
matter that is shaking up all of Upper Kainuu?

Well, the matter is still
in its early stages.

A guarantee can’t be granted
on such light grounds.

The municipality must have such guarantees, so
it’s safe if the company goes bankrupt.

But think about it, since other
authorities have approved the estimate.

Even the bank’s estimate is the same as,
for example, the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s.

The municipality can’t grant a loan on
such weak grounds. That’s against municipal law.

And Erkki can’t handle that loan.

Erkki, you can be sure that I
won’t influence whether you get that guarantee.

Yeah, thanks for the tip.

And the council will reject it.

Well, you can’t know that yet.
We’ll see in due time.

Damn, get out of here with your stick.

One more thing. If it gets outside support, the
municipality won’t grant a building permit for that hill.

You don’t need a permit
for the hill itself.

Yeah?

Well, this municipality has
made protection decisions before.

Where did he go? Lost his
temper. But give me that paper.

Here’s our old barn, and
here’s the new road.

There are indeed plans.

Well, Erkki handled this nicely.

He did. - He was much more direct
in front of the council than Kari.

Yeah, he silenced him when they
started talking about the land price.

Kari probably thought he had
gotten money from Erkki.

Erkki definitely has a bit of the politician in him. He
was so sharp in dealing with those percentages and other things.

He should start giving speeches and run
for office in the next elections.

Well, Erkki could certainly put his intellect to
good use for the public as well.

He could even take my place,
as I’ve been thinking of retiring.

This is a winter project. You
just go skiing and cutting through.

What about during the thaw?

Plastic then.

In the summer, they could even
set up a summer theater.

They could perform with
Koisma and Helin.

Doesn’t this include Kari’s lands?

Yes, that’s the area
Erkki bought from Kari.

From here? Overpriced?

No, at the right price.

As the song says,
"Oh, precious Finland."