Tarkastettaville

Tarkastettaville is a fictional city featured in the 2018 Finnish dark comedy film *Tarkastettaville*, directed by Juho Kuosmanen. The film follows the story of a group of friends who, after a series of unfortunate events, find themselves stranded in this surreal, bureaucratic afterlife. The city serves as a liminal space where the deceased must navigate endless administrative procedures before being allowed to pass on.

The name "Tarkastettaville" translates roughly to "the city of things to be examined" or "the city of things to be checked," reflecting its role as a holding area for souls awaiting further review. The setting is characterized by its sterile, institutional atmosphere, with endless corridors, identical offices, and faceless officials who enforce arbitrary rules. The film explores themes of existential dread, the absurdity of bureaucracy, and the human struggle for meaning, all framed through dark humor and surreal visuals.

Tarkastettaville is not a traditional afterlife but rather a limbo-like purgatory where souls are subjected to endless paperwork, interviews, and evaluations. The city’s design emphasizes its artificiality, with repetitive structures and a lack of natural elements, reinforcing its role as a constructed, almost mechanical system. The film’s portrayal of the city critiques real-world bureaucratic inefficiency and the dehumanizing effects of rigid systems.

While Tarkastettaville is a fictional creation, its concept draws inspiration from broader cultural depictions of bureaucratic hells, such as those found in literature and film. The city’s surreal nature allows the film to explore deeper philosophical questions about life, death, and the search for purpose, all while maintaining a uniquely Finnish tone through its humor and storytelling style. The film’s success has cemented Tarkastettaville as a memorable and thought-provoking element of Finnish cinema.