Mikko Niskanen Movies, TV Shows, and Filmography

Mikko Niskanen

Mikko Niskanen

Directing

Biography

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

Filmography Movies

Acting

Tähtisilmä movie poster
MOVIE

Tähtisilmä

5.0(0.0K)
Tähtisilmä
artist Sumppu
Here, Beneath the North Star movie poster
MOVIE

Here, Beneath the North Star

6.8(0.0K)
Here, Beneath the North Star
Laulu tulipunaisesta kukasta movie poster
MOVIE

Laulu tulipunaisesta kukasta

5.6(0.0K)
Laulu tulipunaisesta kukasta
Palsami / Rehentelevä tukkilainen
Tanssi yli hautojen movie poster
MOVIE

Tanssi yli hautojen

4.8(0.0K)
Tanssi yli hautojen
Kaunis Kaarina movie poster
MOVIE

Kaunis Kaarina

6.7(0.0K)
Kaunis Kaarina
(uncredited)
1918 movie poster
MOVIE

1918

8.0(0.0K)
1918
(uncredited)
Autuas eversti movie poster
MOVIE

Autuas eversti

8.0(0.0K)
Autuas eversti
(uncredited)
Kahden ladun poikki movie poster
MOVIE

Kahden ladun poikki

9.0(0.0K)
Kahden ladun poikki
(uncredited)
Verta käsissämme movie poster
MOVIE

Verta käsissämme

3.8(0.0K)
Verta käsissämme
Isaskar Keturin ihmeelliset seikkailut movie poster
MOVIE

Isaskar Keturin ihmeelliset seikkailut

6.5(0.0K)
Isaskar Keturin ihmeelliset seikkailut
(uncredited)

Production

Elämän vonkamies movie poster
MOVIE

Elämän vonkamies

7.1(0.0K)
Elämän vonkamies
Screenplay
Verta käsissämme movie poster
MOVIE

Verta käsissämme

3.8(0.0K)
Verta käsissämme
Location Manager
Eight Deadly Shots movie poster
MOVIE

Eight Deadly Shots

7.7(0.0K)
Eight Deadly Shots
Writer
Eight Deadly Shots movie poster
MOVIE

Eight Deadly Shots

7.7(0.0K)
Eight Deadly Shots
Director of Photography
Girl of Finland movie poster
MOVIE

Girl of Finland

6.2(0.0K)
Girl of Finland
Director
Asfalttilampaat movie poster
MOVIE

Asfalttilampaat

5.8(0.0K)
Asfalttilampaat
Director
Juha movie poster
MOVIE

Juha

3.0(0.0K)
Juha
Location Manager
Skin, Skin movie poster
MOVIE

Skin, Skin

6.0(0.0K)
Skin, Skin
Director
The Boys movie poster
MOVIE

The Boys

6.8(0.0K)
The Boys
Director
Elokuva jalostavasta rakkaudestaMOVIE
MOVIE

Elokuva jalostavasta rakkaudesta

1.0(0.0K)
Elokuva jalostavasta rakkaudesta
Director

Gallery

Mikko Niskanen portrait
Mikko Niskanen portrait