Cinema: “Matti: Hell Is for Heroes” (2006)

A ski jumper descends from winning 4 Olympic Gold Medals, to serving two years for stabbing a relative. Careers as a stripper and singer, plus five marriages, replete with allegations of domestic violence are fictionalized sympathetically in this dramedy. Alleged exploitation/manipulation of Matti, due to his naivety and gullibility, along with deterioration of his skiing ability due to heavy drinking and bad decisions is emphasized. Many Matti malapropisms a la Yogi Berra, attributed to the Finnish skiing legend, are employed as biopic comic dialogue.

Film screenings are held in educational purposes – brief commentary before and discussion after the film. English subtitles, free entry!