44500 MAX

44500 is the name of a scent and a postal code in Viitasaari. They are connected by the original Max Perttula, a self-taught perfumer whose aim is to put his home town on the map. Max’s calling is cosmetics and he envisions that in the future Viitasaari will be known as Finland’s only perfume town.

While friends at school were interested in explosives, a 7-year-old Max created his first skin lotion, followed by a lipstick. Max Joacim Cosmetics, founded in 2005, seeks to realize his long-term dream. But being an entrepreneur is hard work: Max does everything himself, from product development to advertising.

The documentary follows Max’s journey from a small town to Paris. The film is fresh in its depiction of the many sides of its unconventional protagonist; the clean cut salesman, the pop singer - and the persistent countryman who is inspired by the beautiful summer meadows of Viitasaari.

Tii Starck | Translation by Senni Lähde