Tolonen (2014)

A documentary film about music and life - about letting go and starting over In the early 70s, the Finnish guitarist Jukka Tolonen, celebrated by the international music press, chose to continue his well-begun solo career instead of joining the bands of artists such as Cat Stevens and Abba. However, things didn't go as planned. By the late 90s, Tolonen found himself living in staircases in Stockholm and ended up in Kerava Prison in 2008 for assaulting his girlfriend under the influence of amphetamine and alcohol. His life had been a mess for a long time, his marriages had broken up and he was in poor health. Doctors considered it a miracle that he was even alive. The documentary follows Tolonen from 2006 onwards, from the time just before the sad incident through druggy guitar sessions, the trial, prison time and his release. The film winds up in year 2012 - in a studio where Timo Kämäräinen, Risto Toppola and Teemu Viinikainen are recording a tribute album of Tolonen's compositions. Jukka attends the recordings and passes the baton to a new generation of master musicians. The documentary is a warm and touching story of giving up, survival and finding a new beginning. It is also a story of how Tolonen's music continues to live on in the hands of young musicians. The tribute album Kämäräinen, Toppola, Viinikainen Play Tolonen was released at the turn of 2014.