Princess is based on real-life events and a real person. Cabaret dancer Anna Lappalainen (Katja Kukkola), drifting from one foster home to another, ends up in psychiatric care and soon the hospital staff and her fellow patients see that she’s suffering from severe delusions. She claims to be “Princess”, a member of the English royal family from Buckingham Palace.
Although Princess herself numbers among the patients, helping others becomes her life mission. Her court is comprised of her lady-in-waiting Christina von Heyroth (Krista Kosonen), and a group of fellow patients (Peter Franzén and Pirkka-Pekka Petelius, amongst others). Her jurisdiction extends all the way to Kellokoski village and the manager of the local bank (Tapio Liinoja). From the psychiatric hospital, this broken woman finds her true home and builds a family.
The hospital staff, however, can’t agree on whether empathizing with Princess’ delusions is the best thing for her. Doctor Grotenfelt (Samuli Edelmann) is a supporter of modern treatment methods, and a new invention, lobotomy, is making its way to Finland.
Princess, starring the cream of Finland’s leading actors, is the fiction film debut of the award-winning documentarist Arto Halonen (director of Shadow of the Holy Book, Pavlov’s Dogs and The Magnetic Man). Inspired by the life of Anna Lappalainen, Princess tells the moving story of an individual, judged to be ill by society, whose lovable personality heals and captures the hearts of those around her. The film was written by Arto Halonen, Pirjo Toikka and Paavo Westerberg.
