What did you have to forget to become who you are today?
Markus Lehmusruusu is a Finnish writer-director whose films are driven by a lifelong fascination with the identities we build.
Whether working in intimate drama, family cinema or speculative fiction, he returns to characters who have spent years becoming who they believe they need to be, only to discover that the lives they’ve carefully built no longer feel true.
His films begin at that moment—not with the collapse itself, but with the possibility that follows, as people who have forgotten how to belong find unexpected paths back to each other.
After studying law, he chose filmmaking over a legal career.
He lives and works in Finland.
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Selected Work
The Squirrel (2026)
Writer / Director
World Premiere - Fantastic Fest
Ricky Rapper and the Strongman (2019)
Director
Finlands most-watched domestic film of 2019
Acquired by Netflix
Miss Zahra (2015)
Director
World Premiere — Palm Springs International ShortFest
Official Competition — Moscow International Film Festival
Award of Excellence — Arts Promotion Centre Finland
Television
Kakarat (2020 & 2023)
Director (Season 1 co-directed with Juho Kuosmanen)
Lovi (2021)
Director (co-directed with Miia Tervo)
Nominated for Best TV Series — Prix Jeunesse International
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Contact
