The Finnish American Films of Michael Loukinen

Michael Loukinen's films document the Finnish American experience of the Upper Midwest, particularly that of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He examines music making, foodways, and folk art, including wood working and the weaving of rag rugs. His films reveal recurrent themes such as self-reliance, practicality, adaptation, cooperation, and sisu. They show how Finnish American culture has endured and also how it has changed in adapting to the modern world and the wider American environment.