While on a business trip, advertising exec Kaarlo Vatanen suddenly decides to ditch his normal life, and heads out into the forest with only the barest essentials. There, he encounters a wounded hare and takes him under his wing. Even deep in the forest, Kaarlo can’t completely avoid the unsettling encroachment of ‘civilization’, and he finally returns to Helsinki. Although he ends up in jail, Kaarlo manages to find a secret way to escape. With a light, playful touch, “The Year of the Hare” combines a fascination for the northern landscape with offbeat Finnish humour. This comedy of outsiders is considered the best film by Risto Jarva, whom Aki Kaurismäki has lauded (“his works are the first and most significant steps towards modern Finnish film.”). The director died in an auto accident on the day of its film premiere.