Letters to Father Jacob
Letters to Father Jacob is a 2009 Finnish drama film written and directed by Klaus Härö. Set in the early 1970s and based on a story by Jaana Makkonen, the film tells the story of Leila, a pardoned convict, who becomes an assistant to a blind priest, Jacob. The film depicts her transformation from a sceptic who grudgingly reads letters aloud to her benefactor into a caring savior of the pastor from his despair after the letters stop coming.
In 2022, the film was chosen as the "most touching Finnish film of the 21st century" in the Helsingin Sanomat readers' vote.
Locations
Exteriors were filmed at St. Olaf's Church in Sastamala, Finland. The interiors were filmed at Holy Cross Church in Hattula.Accolades
Nordic Film Days, Lübeck, Germany, 4.–8.11.2009Interfilm Church Prize
Audience Award
58th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Germany, 5.–15.11.2009
Main Award
33rd Cairo International Film Festival, Egypt, 10.–20.11.2009
The Golden Pyramid for the Best Film
The Prize for the Best Screenwriter
Black Nights Film Festival, Tallinn, Estonia, 27.11.-6.12.2009
Jury Prize for the Best Director
28th Fajr International Film Festival, Iran, 1.–11.2.2010
Crystal Simorgh Prize for the Best Film in the Competition of Quest for Truth & Justice
33rd Göteborg International Film Festival, Sweden, 29.1.–8.2.2010
Nordic Film Music Prize
Santa Barbara International Film Festival, USA, 4.–14.2.2010
The Best International Film Award
Festival du Cinéma Nordique, Rouen, France, 10.–21.3.2010
Best Actress Award
Best Actor Award
Audience Award
Cape Winelands Film Festival, South Africa, 17.–27.3.2010
Special Mention Award
Hong Kong International Film Festival, 21.3.–11.4.2010
SIGNIS Commendation
RiverRun International Film Festival, NC, USA, 15.–25.4.2010
BB&T Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
Festroia, Portugal, 4.–13.6.2010
Prize Man and His Environment
Festival de Cine de Huesca, Spain, 4.–12.6.2010
Audience Award