Risto Orko
Encyclopedia
Risto Eliel William Orko (originally Nylund) (15 September 1899, Rauma – 29 September 2001, Helsinki) was a Finnish
film producer and director.
With a career of over 60 years at the film studio Suomi-Filmi
, Orko rose to be head of production and chief director in the 1930s. He became its CEO in 1945. In the 1940s, 50s and 60s, Suomi-Filmi produced hundreds of films and numerous shorts.
In the years 1933-43, Orko directed many films, including two (Aktivistit and Jääkärin Morsian), which were banned for being "overly patriotic". He also had a joint cooperation with the German
film industry during World War II
. Orko also directed a Finnish-Soviet
co-production, released into the American market with subtitles, entitled The Day the Earth Froze in 1959.
His death at age 102 was received with great sadness in his native Finland
and he was thereafter known as the "last Finnish Film Tycoon".
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
film producer and director.
With a career of over 60 years at the film studio Suomi-Filmi
Suomi-Filmi
Suomi-Filmi, lit. Finland-Film, is a Finnish film production and distribution company established in 1919 by Erkki Karu. Suomi-Filmi produced around 160 feature length films and for most of its history was one of the two most important film companies in the country, along with Suomen Filmiteollisuus...
, Orko rose to be head of production and chief director in the 1930s. He became its CEO in 1945. In the 1940s, 50s and 60s, Suomi-Filmi produced hundreds of films and numerous shorts.
In the years 1933-43, Orko directed many films, including two (Aktivistit and Jääkärin Morsian), which were banned for being "overly patriotic". He also had a joint cooperation with the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
film industry during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Orko also directed a Finnish-Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
co-production, released into the American market with subtitles, entitled The Day the Earth Froze in 1959.
His death at age 102 was received with great sadness in his native Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and he was thereafter known as the "last Finnish Film Tycoon".