Mikko Niskanen

Mikko Niskanen was a Finnish film director and actor. He was born in Äänekoski, Central Finland in 1929. He was the third of six children, and his father worked as a timber barge pilot. His mother too had a job outside the home, so the children often spent summers with their grandmother in Viitasaari. At the age of 13, Mikko Niskanen started working in timber felling and floating. Two years later he enrolled in a vocational school in Jyväskylä to become a car mechanic. He took a serious interest in amateur theatre and was accepted to study at the Finnish Theatre Academy in Helsinki from 1947 until 1950. He then acted in Jyväskylä and Kuopio theatres until 1954 when he landed an actor's job at the film studios of Suomen Filmiteollisuus in Helsinki. One of his first film roles was in Edvin Laine's The Unknown Soldier (1955). Between 1958 and 1961 Niskanen studied at the Moscow Film School in the Soviet Union. Niskanen's 1962 film The Boys was entered into the 3rd Moscow International Film Festival. He continued his directing career focusing on themes such as rural life and youth. His second breakthrough was Under Your Skin (Käpy selän alla, 1966), a story of two young couples spending a weekend camping in the countryside. The film received six Jussi Awards and was followed by another story about young lovers, Asfalttilampaat (1968). Niskanen's tour de force as both actor and director was the five-hour television drama Eight Deadly Shots which was also released as a 145-minute theatrical version edited by Jörn Donner. Based on a true story from late 1960s Finland, it is a naturalistic drama about a poor farmer struggling to make a living for his family. He gradually becomes a violent alcoholic who goes on killing spree when the police arrive to calm him down. Besides directing, Niskanen gave a powerful and intense performance in the leading role. The film, like many of Niskanen's works were shot on locations around his home province north of Jyväskylä. Mikko Niskanen died of cancer at the age of 61.

Cast

Tähtisilmä

(artist Sumppu)

Here, Beneath the North Star

Laulu tulipunaisesta kukasta

(Palsami / Rehentelevä tukkilainen)

Tanssi yli hautojen

Kaunis Kaarina

((uncredited))

1918

((uncredited))

Kahden ladun poikki

((uncredited))

Autuas eversti

((uncredited))

Verta käsissämme

Isaskar Keturin ihmeelliset seikkailut

((uncredited))

Köyhä laulaja

((uncredited))

Skin, Skin

(Man on Dance Floor (uncredited))

Girl of Finland

(luennoitsija)

Naiset, jotka minulle annoit

Hän varasti elämän

((uncredited))

Nuoruuteni savotat

((uncredited))

Älä nuolase…

Pekka ja Pätkä Suezilla

((uncredited))

Elämän vonkamies

(Auku-eno)

Elokuva jalostavasta rakkaudesta

(Netsajev)

Mona ja palavan rakkauden aika

(Martti, Monan äidin esimies)

Syksyllä kaikki on toisin

(Kalervo Haapanen)

Eight Deadly Shots

(Pasi)

Pulakapina

(Heikki Niskanen)

Pekka ja Pätkä sammakkomiehinä

(UN-soldier #2)

Herra sotaministeri

((uncredited))

The Unknown Soldier

(Mielonen)

Ryysyrannan Jooseppi

(Villager (uncredited))

Gotta Run!

(Aaro, työnjohtaja)

Eight Deadly Shots

(Pasi)

The Age of Iron

(Tiera)

Hamsterit

(Jallu)
Crew

Elämän vonkamies

(Screenplay)

Verta käsissämme

(Location Manager)

Eight Deadly Shots

(Writer)

Eight Deadly Shots

(Director of Photography)

Girl of Finland

(Director)

Asfalttilampaat

(Director)

Juha

(Location Manager)

Skin, Skin

(Director)

The Boys

(Director)

Elokuva jalostavasta rakkaudesta

(Director)

Eight Deadly Shots

(Director)

Syksyllä kaikki on toisin

(Director)

Nuoruuteni savotat

(Director)

Commando Assault

(Director)

Hopeaa rajan takaa

(Director)

Gotta Run!

(Director)

Gotta Run!

(Writer)

Commando Assault

(Screenplay)

Asfalttilampaat

(Screenplay)

Girl of Finland

(Writer)

Syksyllä kaikki on toisin

(Screenplay)

Syksyllä kaikki on toisin

(Producer)

Hopeaa rajan takaa

(Screenplay)

Eight Deadly Shots

(Producer)

Gotta Run!

(Producer)

Elämän vonkamies

(Director)

Mona ja palavan rakkauden aika

(Director)

Mona ja palavan rakkauden aika

(Producer)

Pulakapina

(Director)

Pulakapina

(Screenplay)

Pulakapina

(Producer)

Nuoruuteni savotat

(Screenplay)

Laulu tulipunaisesta kukasta

(Director)

Laulu tulipunaisesta kukasta

(Screenplay)

Ihmisiä elämän pohjalla

(Director)

The Boys

(Screenplay)

The Accident

(Producer)

The Accident

(Production Supervisor)

17. kesä

(Producer)

Kyläkauppa

(Producer)

Eight Deadly Shots

(Director)

Eight Deadly Shots

(Writer)

Eight Deadly Shots

(Producer)

Eight Deadly Shots

(Director of Photography)

Eight Deadly Shots

(Creator)