Open Up to Me

Maarit (Leea Klemola) has successfully managed to live what she considers a double life – a male body transformed into an attractive and intelligent woman. Maarit’s new life and body have come with a considerable price, as many transgendered individuals have discovered. An estranged wife and daughter, the feeling of being a stranger in a familiar but cold world, and a nagging conscience to confess her sexual identity to would-be employers and those who try to get too close are but a few of the burdens Maarit must bear. Most of all she longs to revive the relationship with her daughter Pinja (Emmi Nivala), but Pinja’s mother wants nothing to do with Maarit. Her life take an unexpected turn the day her employer, a therapist, leaves town on an emergency and entrusts Maarit to secure the office after she is done cleaning it. Maarit can’t help but to slightly overstep her bounds once the therapist leaves and explore for a few minutes a taste of this intriguing profession. A man (Peter Franzén) in the midst of a marital crisis enters unexpectedly seeking solace from the absent therapist but finding only Maarit, whose compassionate nature compels her to try to help the man. The two quickly find that they share some common interests, especially soccer, a sport which was a significant part of Maarit’s past life. Maarit’s natural sense of sexual curiosity leads her into a new realm of temptation and quickly learns that all is not what it seems with this man, who turns out to have deep inhibitions of his own and contends with elements of his professional and personal life in which Maarit becomes dangerously entwined. Past events clash with the present, and Maarit’s life becomes a turbulent whirlwind. Not one to live an existence of servitude to the expectations of a regimented society, she makes the bold decision to come to complete terms with the world around her and reconcile with those for whom she truly cares, and in doing so proves that true character is measured from the inside out. A gritty and emotional film, Open Up to Me is an exceptionally well-written and directed film that has made its North American premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.