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Peter von Bagh

Peter von Bagh

Director, writer and actor · Died September 17, 2014, aged 71 · Helsinki, Finland

Kari Peter Conrad von Bagh (August 29, 1943 – September 17, 2014) was a Finnish film historian and director. Von Bagh worked as the head of the Finnish Film Archive, editor-in-chief of Filmihullu magazine and co-founder and director of the Midnight Sun Film Festival. From 2001, he was the artistic director of the film festival Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna. Von Bagh was a member of the jury in the competition category of 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Films directed by Bagh have been screened at prestigious international forums, including retrospectives of his filmography at the 2012 Rotterdam International Film Festival, the 2012 Festival Internacional de Cine Independente in Buenos Aires, and the Tromsø International Film Festival in 2013. Bagh's wrote approximately 40 non-fiction books, mostly on cinema, and some 60 films for both the cinemas and television include his internationally successful films Helsinki, Forever (2008) and Sodankylä, Forever (2010–2011), a documentary series of the first twenty-five years of the Midnight Sun Film Festival.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 29, 1943
Died
September 17, 2014 (aged 71)
From
Helsinki, Finland
Works as
Director, writer and actor
Titles
7 on MovieCove · 37 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 14% in 30 days

What are Peter von Bagh's films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Ideas.

Genres

Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 33rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
34%
Ideas
24%
Power
17%
Society
11%
Bonds
8%
Survival
7%
Art2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 2 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 3 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 1

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 1 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
4
Warm
2
Absurd
1
Tense
1
Melancholic
1
Other
1

How their films linger

Thought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet1
  • Ambiguous2
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Peter von Bagh's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 7 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (2).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Peter von Bagh's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

37 credits, 7 with a MovieCove page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Lauluja utopiasta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • The Other Side of Hope(2017)

    In Memory Of

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Socialism (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • Remembrance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Writer

  • Conversations Between Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Haastattelija

  • Suomalaiset ja raha – Rakkaustarina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · as Narrator

  • 60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero(2011)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Splinters - A Century of an Artistic Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · as Reader

  • The Story of Mikko Niskanen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director

  • Sodankylä Forever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Screenplay · as Self - Narrator

  • Helsinki, Forever(2008)

    Director · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Sininen laulu - Suomen taiteiden tarina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 12 episodes · Director · Writer

  • The Man Without a Past(2002)

    as Salvation Army Officer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • VÄNÄ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Camera Operator

  • Juha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Juha's Father

  • Drifting Clouds(1996)

    as First Customer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Man in the Shadows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director · Writer

  • The Year 1939 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • The Last Summer 1944 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director · Writer

  • I Hired a Contract Killer(1990)

    Idea

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • A Day at Karl Marx's Grave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director

  • Lähikuvassa: Hassisen Kone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director

  • Tapsa - Slashes from a Rover's Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director · Writer

  • Paavo Nurmi - The Man and His Times (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director

  • When the Heavens Fall… (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Writer

  • Olavi Virta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director · Screenplay · as Himself / Interviewer (voice)

  • Kreivi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Director · Editor · Writer · as kertoja / mies tanssipaikalla

  • Bensaa suonissa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Writer

  • Kesäkapina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Writer

  • Liikemiehen muotokuva (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director

  • A Time of Roses(1969)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Joulukuu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director · Writer

  • Vanhan valtaus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • Pockpicket - Recollections of a Helsinki Bourgeois Youth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer

  • Edvin Laine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Muisto - Itsenäisen Suomen ensimmäisten vuosien kertomus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • The Year 1952 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 37 titles, 34 of them dated from 1968 to 2017.

Highest rated

I Hired a Contract Killer (1990)

Midcredits 86th

Film career

  • 1999Screen debut· Juha

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting8 of 37: 4 only acting, 4 with another roleDirecting25 of 37: 10 only directing, 15 with another roleWriting19 of 37: 6 only writing, 13 with another roleProducing1 of 37: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleCinematography1 of 37: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleEditing1 of 37: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew2 of 37: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

37 titles, 15 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 13 of them.

By decade

1960s4 · crew1970s7 · 1 acting · 7 crew1980s3 · crew1990s6 · 2 acting · 4 crew2000s4 · 2 acting · 3 crew2010s10 · 3 acting · 9 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

How do Peter von Bagh's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 88th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 74th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 7 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

3 of their 7 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Broadly Agreed1

Most divisive · writer

60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero (2011)

90th percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Drifting Clouds (1996)

Midcredits 96th · 85% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Peter von Bagh work with?

People who share at least 2 of Peter von Bagh's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Aki Kaurismäki shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers