Fire-Eater

Story

Synopsis

The twin sisters Helena and Irene are born in Helsinki during World War II. A few months later their mother, Sirkka, leaves the girls in the care of their grandmother, an old communist, and runs away with a German soldier. Their life under the protection of their grandmother and the teachings of communism ends first with the death of Stalin, then with that of their grandmother. The girls are eight years old when they are put in an orphanage. Their mother shows up at the orphanage in the company of Ramon, a Spanish trapeze artist. They are on a talent search for a German circus. Ramon trains the reluctant Irene during circus tours in Central Europe. She becomes the trapeze star of the circus. The hard work soon exhausts Irene and she falls from height, as if on purpose. Helena has secretly learned the art of fire-eating. Now she is burdened with both her mother and her sister. The violent life, however, separates the three from each other. In the present-day Helsinki the middle-aged...

Director

Pirjo Honkasalo

Writers

Pirkko Saisio

Language

Finnish

Country

Finland, Sweden

Release date

30 October 1998

Ensemble

Cast

• Elina Hurme

  Helena

• 

  Tiina Weckström

  Mother

• 

  Elena Leeve

  Helena 14 Years

• 

  Elsa Saisio

  Irene 14 Years

• 

  Jani Volanen

  Clown

• Vappu Jurkka

  Grandmother

• Jordi Borrell

  Ramon

• Unna Kitti

  Girl

• Sari Havukainen

  Helena 8 years

• Inka Vogt

  Irene 8 years

• 

  Per Ragnar

  Circus Director

• 

  Sulevi Peltola

  Arvo