Eastern Memories

Finland2017documentary86'Fokus na Finlandię (2019)

Finnish linguist and diplomat Gustaf John Ramstedt lived in the years 1873-1950. As a young man, he went to Mongolia to study the local language. During his stay there, he travelled across the Far East gradually expanding his knowledge of other countries and, at the same time, exploring the sources of Finnish identity. Thanks to mastering Japanese, he could start his career as a diplomat and continue his research observing current social and political changes. In the film, his personal memories are accompanied by fascinating photographs of contemporary Mongolia and Japan.