Ajolähtö film to be broadcast on Finnish television

The 1982 Finnish drama Ajolähtö, directed by Mikko Niskanen, is being featured on Yle Teema and Yle Areena. The film, which earned two Jussi awards and attracted 175,000 cinema viewers, depicts the lives of three young men—Juuso, Pyry, and Late—struggling to find their place in a changing 1980s Finland as they leave their rural home in Central Finland to seek opportunities in other parts of the country and the Nordic region.

The film is noted for its portrayal of structural change and rural depopulation. It also highlights the performance of amateur actor Tero Niva, who played the role of Late. Niva, who was discovered in Viitasaari, later appeared in the film Tuntematon sotilas (1985) before choosing a career in electronics engineering and passing away from throat cancer in 2003 at age 40. The film's soundtrack features music by Mikko Alatalo, Harri Rinne, Ratsia, and Pave Maijan Mistakes.