Director: Klaus Härö Reviewer: Paul Sorrell 

The title forms the regular cry of the postman as he delivers the daily mail to a retired parish priest in an isolated part of rural Finland. Isolation is a key ingredient in this simple yet moving film. In all but a couple of scenes we see only three characters – the postman is one, with an important role to play – and the hamlet where the action takes place seems to consist only of a tumbledown rectory and an ancient, empty church a couple of kilometres distant. The spare, whittled-down narrative that unfolds in this austere setting is both unsettling and poignant.

The mainspring of the story is simple. Leila, newly released from a life sentence in prison, has come to work for the blind and aging Father Jacob as his amanuensis, reading and answering the many letters he receives requesting spiritual help and counsel. Since his last assistant moved away from the district, Fr Jacob’s unanswered correspondence has accumulated to fill the entire space under his bed. At first, Leila, sullen and heavyset, resents her new position and even throws some newly delivered mail down the household well. When the letters stop arriving – following a clash between Leila and the suspicious postman – Fr Jacob feels that God has abandoned him and falls into a state of despair. Leila follows suit. However, this emotional crisis marks a turning point in their relationship, and the normally taciturn Leila is at last able to share the secrets of her violent past with the gentle, loving priest she has gradually come to trust. From this point, the action builds rapidly to an unexpected and moving climax.

Like a biblical parable in its brevity and simplicity, in the wrong hands Letters to Father Jacob could easily have become a predictable and sentimental tale. Rather, director Härö has gifted us with an understated story of the power of love and its redemptive action in the lives of two people who were in danger of giving themselves up for lost.

Finland’s official entry in the 2009 Academy Awards, Letters to Father Jacob was a worthy contender. As a sensitive and tender portrayal of things that lie at the heart of the Christian faith, it comes highly recommended.

Published in Tui Motu magazine. June 2012: 29.