Tom of Finland
Synopsis
Touko Laaksonen, a decorated officer, returns home after a harrowing and heroic experience serving his country in World War II, but life in Finland during peacetime proves equally distressing. He finds peace-time Helsinki rampant with persecution of the homosexual and men around him even being pressured to marry women and have children. Touko finds refuge in his liberating art, specialising in homoerotic drawings of muscular men, free of inhibitions. His work – made famous by his signature ‘Tom of Finland’ – became the emblem of a generation of men and fanned the flames of a gay revolution.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
TOM OF FINLAND – Official teaser trailer (English)
Type: Teaser • Published 2016-09-15
Top Cast
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Pekka Strang
Touko Laaksonen / Tom of Finland
Lauri Tilkanen
Veli
Jessica Grabowsky
Kaija
Taisto Oksanen
Alijoki
Seumas F. Sargent
Doug
Jakob Oftebro
Jack
Niklas Hogner
Kake
Chris Myland
Security Person
Alf Myreen
AD Artist
Fabian Puregger
Tom's Dream Cop
Roope Karisto
Young Man
Emanuel Claesson
Man in Doorway
Henri Keränen
Radio Operator / Soldier, Chorus
Siim Maaten
Russian Paratrooper
Leif Edlund
Moustache Man
Werner Daehn
Müller
Christian Sandström
Kari
Martin Bahne
Gabriel
Release History & Theatrical Window
Göteborg International Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
November 20, 2017
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$4.2M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$1.8M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.43x
-$2.4M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Dome Karukoski
- Screenplay & Story
- Aleksi Bardy
- Original Score
- Hildur Guðnadóttir, Lasse Enersen
- Original Title
- Tom of Finland
- Country of Origin
- Iceland, Finland, United States of America, Sweden, Denmark, Germany
- Spoken Languages
- German, Finnish, English
- Runtime
- 1h 56m
- Production Budget
- $4.2M
- Worldwide Gross
- $1.8M
- Production Studios
- Helsinki-filmi, Fridthjof Film, Neutrinos Productions, Anagram
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Dome Karukoski
Aleksi Bardy
Hildur Guðnadóttir, Lasse Enersen
Lasse Frank Johannessen
Harri Ylönen
Miia Haavisto, Annika Sucksdorff, Aleksi Bardy
Department Leadership Roster
Dome Karukoski
Director
Aleksi Bardy
Writer
Miia Haavisto
Producer
Annika Sucksdorff
Producer
Aleksi Bardy
Producer
Christian Olander
Production Design
Hildur Guðnadóttir
Original Music Composer
Harri Ylönen
Editor
Anna Vilppunen
Costume Design
Lasse Enersen
Original Music Composer
Lasse Frank Johannessen
Director of Photography
Reijo Kontio
Stunt Coordinator
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Tom of Finland.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Tom of Finland.
LGBTQ+
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
War: World War II
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
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Biographies
LBGT+
MovieLens[40K:50K]
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Frequently Asked Questions About Tom of Finland
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Tom of Finland about?
Touko Laaksonen, a decorated officer, returns home after a harrowing and heroic experience serving his country in World War II, but life in Finland during peacetime proves equally distressing. He finds peace-time Helsinki rampant with persecution of the homosexual and men around him even being pressured to marry women and have children. Touko finds refuge in his liberating art, specialising in homoerotic drawings of muscular men, free of inhibitions. His work – made famous by his signature ‘Tom of Finland’ – became the emblem of a generation of men and fanned the flames of a gay revolution.
Who directed Tom of Finland?
Tom of Finland was directed by Dome Karukoski.
Who stars in Tom of Finland?
The principal cast of Tom of Finland includes Pekka Strang, Lauri Tilkanen, Jessica Grabowsky, Taisto Oksanen, Seumas F. Sargent.
When was Tom of Finland released and how long is it?
Tom of Finland was released in 2017 with a total runtime of 1h 56m.
What was the box office and production budget of Tom of Finland?
Tom of Finland had a reported production budget of $4.2M and grossed $1.8M at the worldwide box office (0.43 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Tom of Finland?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Tom of Finland was composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir, Lasse Enersen.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Tom of Finland?
Tom of Finland holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); GB: 18 (Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.).