SINOSSI
During the COVID lockdown, three Finnish men going through the mid-life crisis get together in an otherwise empty bar in Helsinki. Throughout the night they talk, try to get advice and find the power to go on with their journey.
Mika Kaurismäki's Gracious Night tells the story of three men who bond over a long night of wine and intellectual discussion, on what could be the final night for a bar under serious financial pressure during lockdown. Despite being officially closed, Barman Heikki offers solace to his friend and frontline healthcare professional Risto who is passing in the night after a long and tragedy-filled shift. Suspicions are raised with the subsequent arrival of a stranger awaiting the birth of his grandchild, especially after radio reports of a murder in the area. But Heikki and Risto have their own internalised secrets to deal with and this most gracious night in a Helsinki Bar might just provide the therapeutic session they require.