Alma Pöysti as Tove. In the midst of her artistic struggles and unconventional personal life, Tove Jansson found worldwide success from an unexpected side project: the creation of the beloved world of the Moomins. Photograph: Kira Schroder / Moomin.com
Alma Pöysti, who plays the beloved Moomin author Tove Jansson in Tove—the first feature film about the author’s life—won the award for the best actress in a leading role in Finland’s national film gala, Jussi Awards.
“My heart is about to explode. This is a great honor. We created this film with great serenity and desire. And it became a love child for so many of us,” Pöysti said in her speech at the awards on Wednesday that was broadcast for the first time from Vantaa Airport Studio.
Tove won seven categories including best film, best director, best actress, best cinematography, best costume design, best makeup and best production design.
The prize for the best film voted by the public went to director Tuukka and producer Olga Temonen’s One Half of Me (Aika jonka sain). The film is based on true events and tells the survival story of a mother with two kids whose hobby is equestrian sports. When the mother is paralyzed in an accident, her life is about to take a different direction.
Jussi Awards celebrates the best achievements in Finnish cinema. The first awards were celebrated in 1944, and it’s one of the oldest film awards in Europe. The trophy, designed by sculptor Ben Renvall, is made of gypsum and depicts a nude man with a hat.
