Seamstress (2015): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2015, Seamstress is a documentary film directed by Ville Suhonen, running about 93 minutes. “So great is to die and live for happiness and freedom” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. A documentary film about Martta Koskinen, the last executed woman in Finland during the war in 1943. Martta was a Seamstress who lived in Helsinki during the Second World War. She was one of the post-civil war (in 1918) generation for whom the war had meant a disappointment in the system and failure in unity of the Finnish nation. The legacy of the civil war had left systems of persecution in place for those with socialist ideals. Martta and her fellow revolutionaries were determined to continue the resistance movement although they knew that at worst it could cost their lives. Martta was imprisoned twice before she was shot. She was an idealist, whose seemingly harmless, naive beliefs in peace and justice were the most dangerous traits a person could have at the time.

Who’s in it. Seamstress stars Martta Koskinen as Herself (Archive footage), Vera Kiiskinen as Martta Koskinen (voice), Pekka Milonoff as Narrator (voice) and Laura Birn as Hertta Kuusinen (voice), among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.8/10, Seamstress has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Seamstress page.

If you liked it. Fans of Seamstress tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.