Mikko Niskanen [222316] Gender: Male Popularity: 0.1662 Birthplace: Äänekoski, Finland Birthday: 1929-01-31 Deathday: 1990-11-25 Age: 61 years Movies: 29 Links: Homepage, IMDB Biography: Mikko Niskanen was a Finnish film director and actor. He was born in Äänekoski, Central Finland in 1929. He was the third of six children, and his father worked as a timber barge pilot. His mother too had a job outside the home, so the children often spent summers with their grandmother in Viitasaari. At the age of 13, Mikko Niskanen started working in timber felling and floating. Two years later he enrolled in a vocational school in Jyväskylä to become a car mechanic. He took a serious interest in amateur theatre and was accepted to study at the Finnish Theatre Academy in Helsinki from 1947 until 1950. He then acted in Jyväskylä and Kuopio theatres until 1954 when he landed an actor's job at the film studios of Suomen Filmiteollisuus in Helsinki. One of his first film roles was in Edvin Laine's The Unknown Soldier (1955). Between 1958 and 1961 Niskanen studied at the Moscow Film School in the Soviet Union. Niskanen's 1962 film The Boys was entered into the 3rd Moscow International Film Festival. He continued his directing career focusing on themes such as rural life and youth. His second breakthrough was Under Your Skin (Käpy selän alla, 1966), a story of two young couples spending a weekend camping in the countryside. The film received six Jussi Awards and was followed by another story about young lovers, Asfalttilampaat (1968). Niskanen's tour de force as both actor and director was the five-hour television drama Eight Deadly Shots which was also released as a 145-minute theatrical version edited by Jörn Donner. Based on a true story from late 1960s Finland, it is a naturalistic drama about a poor farmer struggling to make a living for his family. He gradually becomes a violent alcoholic who goes on killing spree when the police arrive to calm him down. Besides directing, Niskanen gave a powerful and intense performance in the leading role. The film, like many of Niskanen's works were shot on locations around his home province north of Jyväskylä. Mikko Niskanen died of cancer at the age of 61. Nuoruuteni savot1988-11-18 Elämän vonkami1986-10-31 Mona ja palavan 1983-12-23 Gotta Run!1982-02-05 Syksyllä kaikki1978-10-06 Pulakapina1977-01-26 Eight Deadly Sho1972-09-15 Laulu tulipunais1971-10-29 Here, Beneath th1968-09-13 Girl of Finland1967-12-01 Elokuva jalostav1967-09-06 Skin, Skin1966-10-21 Naiset, jotka mi1962-08-17 Hän varasti elÃ1962-08-03 Älä nuolase…1962-02-09 Isaskar Keturin 1960-02-24 Verta käsissäm1958-11-21 Autuas eversti1958-09-05 Pekka ja Pätkä1958-04-25 Kahden ladun poi1958-02-28 Pekka ja Pätkä1957-12-20 19181957-09-20 Herra sotaminist1957-08-09 The Unknown Sold1955-12-23 Kaunis Kaarina1955-11-18 Tähtisilmä1955-04-15 Ryysyrannan Joos1955-04-08 Tanssi yli hauto1950-08-11 Köyhä laulaja1950-04-28