A Glenn Close -film shows the beauty of the archipelago of Kotka  

The archipelago of Kotka plays a major role in the film The Summer Book, starring Hollywood star Glenn Close. Based on the beloved novel by Tove Jansson, the film’s main location is Rankki, off the coast of Kotka. Its rocky, rugged and delicate nature, the crashing sea and the people who blend into the archipelago’s landscape enchant the viewer, as Finnish daily Iltasanomat writes in its review.

You are more than welcome to visit the picturesque filming locations in Rankki and to fall in love with the archipelago of the Eastern Gulf of Finland.

The film tells the story of Sophia’s summer with her grandmother (Close) on a small island in the Gulf of Finland. As Sophia’s father (Danielsen Lie) mourns the death of his husband, the waves lap at the rocks, the sun shines and the trees grow. The Finnish summer and the nature of the Kotka archipelago are at their most authentic and beautiful.

Eight-time Oscar nominee Close was inspired by the story of The Summer Book. Published in 1972, Jansson’s novel The Summer Book has been hailed as a masterpiece by critics and readers alike, and has been translated into 35 languages.

“I liked the slow pace, the focus on nature, the depiction of nature and the interaction between the grandmother and Sophia,” Close says.

The Summer Book had its world premiere at the London International Film Festival. It has also been screened at many other international film festivals including Los Angeles, Stockholm and Turin.