One Day in The Life of Ivan Denisovich (film) - Banning in Finland

Banning in Finland

Finnish film director Jörn Donner tried to get the film to Finland, but the Finnish Board of Film banned the showing of the film and Donner complained to Supreme Administrative Court of Finland in 1972. The Supreme Administrative Court voted for the banning 5-4 on 28 February 1972. In 1972 and 1974 Swedish television showed the film and the Swedish television mast on the Åland Islands was shut down during the movie because Finns were banned from seeing the film.

Director of the Finnish Board of Film Jerker Eeriksson said that the banning of the film was political because it harmed the Finnish-Soviet relationship. Director of the film Caspar Wrede, who then lived in England, didn't want to campaign against the banning in order to avoid bad publicity abroad.

The film was shown in Finland in 1993 and 1994 in the movie theater Orion in Helsinki and in the cinema club in Vaasa. Finnish television showed the film in 1996 on the TV1 YLE channel.