# Aku Louhimies

Aku Louhimies (born 3 July 1968) is a Finnish film director and screenwriter. He has directed feature films, documentary films, commercials and music videos. His international breakthrough was the 2016 serial drama Rebellion. He directed and produced the 2017 war film The Unknown Soldier which is the biggest box office hit since 1955 in Finland.

## Education

Aku graduated from Billings West High School in Montana, U.S. After returning to Helsinki, he studied history at the University of Helsinki, and film directing at University of Art and Design Helsinki in Finland. Louhimies' military rank is Reserve Senior Lieutenant. He is fluent in English, Finnish, Swedish, and Spanish.
December 2019 Louhimies was promoted to an officer rank of Senior Lieutenant (in reserves) by Finnish Defence Forces.

## Career
### Feature films

Restless (2000) was first feature film directed by Louhimies, and after that, he has directed nine feature films, among them award-winning Frozen Land (2005), war drama Tears of April (2008), multi-narrative drama Naked Harbour (2012) and hard-hitting crime-drama 8-ball (2013).
In 2017 Louhimies directed a World War II Drama The Unknown Soldier that had its premiere October 27, 2017 as a part of the official 100th anniversary of Finnish independence program. The film is based on Väinö Linna's acclaimed novel The Unknown Soldier from 1954. The international premiere was on 23 November 2017 at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, followed by Ireland, Sweden, Iceland and Norway. The film was described by critics as gritty, forlorn, honest and realistic as well as a pacifist piece confronting less pleasant sides of Finnish history. The film is Finland's biggest box office hit since 1955, with over million viewers and it's still gathering more views on TV and on streaming platforms. In 2020 Louhimies directed an international thriller Omerta 6/12 Attack on Finland, where Finland's Independence Day celebration on December 6 is crudely interrupted by an attack to the Presidential Residence. The film is starring actors Jasper Pääkkönen, Nanna Blondell and Sverrir Guðnason. It was released on winter 2021. Also in 2020 he directed feministic romantic drama "The Wait", that he created with Inka Kallén, based on a novel by Juhani Aho Due to the pandemic The Wait was released 2022 and it is the world's first carbon negative film. The movie received an award for the Best Original Score by Esa-Pekka Salonen, at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

### Television projects

Louhimies has also directed several television projects, among others the multiple awards-winning television series Fragments (2003). In 2023 he directed series Conflict, that he has created with Andrei Alén. In Conflict a small, Finnish seaside town is preparing to celebrate midsummer's eve, when an unknown enemy invades the peninsula. The series has an international cast and it was released in November 2024.The series has been very popular since the beginning, with over one million viewers first week and it won a prize for the best drama and best direction, at the Finnish National Television Awards.It has an international distribution by Keshet. In 2023 Louhimies also directed The Inheritance (TV series) for Channel 5, starring Gaynor Faye, Larry Lamb, Robert James-Collier, Jemima Rooper and Samantha Bond. In 2019 Louhimies directed a season of an English language thriller series Rig 45 which aired in 2020. Starring Rune Temte, Filip Berg, Andrei Alén and Natalie Gumede. ‘Rig 45’ is one of NENT Group’s most successful original series. In 2016 Louhimies made his international breakthrough by directing the serial drama Rebellion for Irish broadcaster RTÉ and Netflix, starring Charlie Murphy (actress), Brian Gleeson (actor), Ruth Bradley, Sarah Greene (actress), Michelle Fairley, Niamh Cusack and Ian McElhinney. The five-part television mini-series depicts fictional characters in Dublin during the 1916 Rising and it was commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Easter Rising. The 5 parts of the series are Young Guns, To Arms, Under Siege, Surrender and The Reckoning. The series premiered on SundanceTV in the US, on April 24, 2016 and on YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Service), on June 1, 2016. The series is available on Netflix worldwide, except in Ireland and Finland.

### Other projects

Aku Louhimies has also directed short films, documentaries, music videos and commercials since 1995.
In 2004, Aku was elected Director of the Year by the Association of Finnish Film Directors. 2011-2014 he was the chairman of the association
In 2012, Louhimies accepted the role of jury member for the first Saint Petersburg international film festival and his film Naked Harbour (Vuosaari) was added to the festival's non-competition programme "Screenings in honour of filmmakers".

### Criticism

In March 2018 8 Finnish actors came forward accusing director Aku Louhimies to have subjected them to demeaning tactics in the work. At the 2018 Jussi Awards during his acceptance speech, after receiving the Audience Award, Louhimies thanked everyone, who had started the process to "air the movie industry". He has also responded to the accusations in his Facebook posts.

## Filmography

* Conflict (Finnish TV series), 2024
* The Inheritance (TV series), 2023
* Omerta 6/12, 2021
* The Wait (Odotus), 2021
* The Unknown Soldier (Tuntematon sotilas), 2017
* Rebellion (TV Mini-Series), 2016
* 8-ball (8-pallo), 2013
* Naked Harbour (Vuosaari), 2012
* Tears of April (Käsky), 2008
* Frozen City (Valkoinen kaupunki), 2006
* Man Exposed (Riisuttu mies), 2006
* Frozen Land (Paha maa), 2005
* Lovers & Leavers (Kuutamolla), 2002
* Restless (Levottomat), 2000
The book Aku Louhimies — Elokuvaunelmia (Like, 2017) by non-fiction author Satu Jaatinen, examines the director's career from Restless to Unknown Soldier.

### Selected awards

* Conflict, Venla Gaala,2025 Best Direction https://www.kultainenvenla.fi/arkisto/voittajat-2024/
* Conflict, Venla Gaala,2025 Best Drama https://www.kultainenvenla.fi/arkisto/voittajat-2024/
* The Wait, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2021: Best Original Score by Esa-Pekka Salonen
* The Unknown Soldier (Tuntematon sotilas), 2017 Jussi Awards 2018: Best Film - Audience Award, Best Actor, Best Sound Design, Best Editing, Best Make-up
* Naked Harbour (Vuosaari), 2012 Festroia International Film Festival 2012: CICAE Award
* Naked Harbour (Vuosaari), 2012 Nordische Filmtage Lübeck 2012: The Interfilm Church Prize
* Frozen City (Valkoinen kaupunki), 2006 Jussi Awards 2007: Best Director
* Frozen City (Valkoinen kaupunki), 2006 Ghent International Film Festival 2006: Best Director
* Frozen City (Valkoinen kaupunki), 2006 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2006: Don Quijote Award – Special Mention, FIPRESCI Prize, Label Europa Cinemas
* Frozen City (Valkoinen kaupunki), 2006 Lübeck Nordic Film Days 2006: Prize of the Ecumenical Jury – Honorable Mention
* Frozen Land (Paha maa), 2005 Jussi Awards 2006: Best Director, Best Script
* Frozen Land (Paha maa), 2005 Athens International Film Festival 2005: Best Screenplay
* Frozen Land (Paha maa), 2005 Bergen International Film Festival 2005: Jury Award
* Frozen Land (Paha maa), 2005 Göteborg Film Festival 2005: Church of Sweden Film Award, FIPRESCI Prize, Nordic Film Prize
* Frozen Land (Paha maa), 2005 Leeds International Film Festival 2005: Golden Owl Award
* Frozen Land (Paha maa), 2005 Lübeck Nordic Film Days 2005: NDR Promotion Prize – Honorable Mention
* Frozen Land (Paha maa), 2005 Moscow International Film Festival 2005: Special Jury Prize
* Irtiottoja (Fragments), 2004 Venla Awards: Best Director
* Lovers & Leavers (Kuutamolla), 2002 Durango Film Festival 2003: Jury Award Best Narrative Feature
* Lovers & Leavers (Kuutamolla), 2002 Cinequest San Jose Film Festival 2003: Best Feature
His 2000 film Restless was entered into the 22nd Moscow International Film Festival.