Lehtinen's first breakthrough film project was the short film Tori (film) (The Market Place) in 1962. It was the incentive which gave the start for the carriers of director Erkko Kivikoski, then 27 and cinematographer Virke Lehtinen, 22, with experienced editor Juho Gartz, then 30. Their film won Silver Bear for Best Short Film of the Berlin International Film Festival. Next year the trio made the feature Kesällä kello 5 (film) (This Summer at Five), which got an enormous popularity and personal awards for the trio and entered 14th Berlin International Film Festival.