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 actors job at the film studios of Suomen Filmiteollisuus in Helsinki One of his first film roles was in Edvin Laines The Unknown Soldier 1955 Between 1958 and 1961 Niskanen studied at the Moscow Film School in the Soviet Union Niskanens 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 Niskanens tour de force as both actor and director was the fivehour television drama Eight Deadly Shots which was also released as a 145minute 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 Niskanens works were shot on locations around his home province north of Jyväskylä Mikko Niskanen died of cancer at the age of 61