Letters to Father Jacob

Letters to Father Jacob (Postia pappi Jaakobille) is a 2009 Finnish drama film written and directed by Klaus Härö. Set in the early 1970s and based on a story by Jaana Makkonen, the film tells the story of Leila, a pardoned convict, who becomes an assistant to a blind priest, Jacob. The film depicts her transformation from a sceptic who grudgingly reads letters aloud to her benefactor into a caring savior of the pastor from his despair after the letters stop coming.

In 2022, the film was chosen as the "most touching Finnish film of the 21st century" in the Helsingin Sanomat readers' vote.

Locations
Exteriors were filmed at St. Olaf's Church in Sastamala, Finland (Pyhän Olavin kirkko). The interiors were filmed at Holy Cross Church in Hattula (Pyhän Ristin kirkko).

Accolades
Nordic Film Days, Lübeck, Germany, 4.–8.11.2009 Interfilm Church Prize Audience Award

58th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Germany, 5.–15.11.2009 Main Award

33rd Cairo International Film Festival, Egypt, 10.–20.11.2009 The Golden Pyramid for the Best Film The Prize for the Best Screenwriter (Klaus Härö)

Black Nights Film Festival, Tallinn, Estonia, 27.11.-6.12.2009 Jury Prize for the Best Director

28th Fajr International Film Festival, Iran, 1.–11.2.2010 Crystal Simorgh Prize for the Best Film in the Competition of Quest for Truth & Justice

33rd Göteborg International Film Festival, Sweden, 29.1.–8.2.2010 Nordic Film Music Prize (composer Dan Strömbäck)

Santa Barbara International Film Festival, USA, 4.–14.2.2010 The Best International Film Award

Festival du Cinéma Nordique, Rouen, France, 10.–21.3.2010 Best Actress Award (Kaarina Hazard) Best Actor Award (Heikki Nousiainen) Audience Award

Cape Winelands Film Festival, South Africa, 17.–27.3.2010 Special Mention Award (actor Heikki Nousiainen)

Hong Kong International Film Festival, 21.3.–11.4.2010 SIGNIS Commendation

RiverRun International Film Festival, NC, USA, 15.–25.4.2010 BB&T Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature

Festroia, Portugal, 4.–13.6.2010 Prize Man and His Environment

Festival de Cine de Huesca, Spain, 4.–12.6.2010 Audience Award