Anneli Sauli

Anneli Sauli (born Anneli Helena Savolainen; 6 August 1932 Pyhäjoki, Finland – 15 March 2022 Helsinki, Finland) was a renowned Finnish actress whose career spanned nearly seven decades and included more than 40 films, as well as significant work in television and theatre.^[3][2][4]

Anneli Sauli
Sauli in 2013 with a Jussi Award for lifetime achievement in film
Born	Anneli Helena Savolainen[1] (1932-08-06)6 August 1932 Pyhäjoki, Finland
Died	15 March 2022(2022-03-15) (aged 89) Helsinki, Finland
Other names	Ann Savo Anneli Helena Lindman[2] Anneli Helena Pakkasvirta[2]
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1953–2020

Early Life and Background

Anneli Sauli was born in Pyhäjoki, Finland, to Valdemar Schwartz, a Finnish Romani father, and Salli Maria Heikkilä, a Finnish mother. Raised in modest circumstances, she spent her early years in rural Finland, which influenced her grounded perspective throughout her life and career.^[3]

Film career

Sauli began her film career in 1953 with a role in Me tulemme taas ("We're Coming Back"). Her breakthrough came the same year with the title role in Hilja – maitotyttö ("The Milkmaid"), which established her as a major star in Finnish cinema. The film's erotic undertones led to comparisons with international icons like Harriet Andersson, Sophie Loren, and Brigitte Bardot.^[3][5]

She continued to star in notable Finnish films throughout the 1950s, including Miriam (1957), which was entered into the 8th Berlin International Film Festival and remained one of her personal favorites.^[5][6][4]

As the Finnish film industry declined in the 1960s, Sauli moved to West Germany, where she acted in about ten films under the name Ann Savo.^[2][1]

Her last appearance was in the documentary film Anneli's Moment (Finnish: Annelin aika), which explores her life and career. The documentary was directed and written by Saara Cantell and was released in 2024.^[7]

Personal life

Sauli was married to film director-actor Åke Lindman from 1956 to 1962, and to director-actor Jaakko Pakkasvirta from 1965 to 1968.^[2] She had one daughter.^[8]

Sauli died in Helsinki on 15 March 2022, at the age of 89.^[9]

Honours

In 2013, she received a Jussi Award for lifetime achievement in film.^[10]

The Red Carpet Film Festival unveiled Anneli Sauli's embedded star on Hyvinkää's Tähtiraitti (Main Street of Stars) in 2022.^[11]

Selected filmography

Anneli Sauli in 1956.

• We're Coming Back (1953)
• The Milkmaid (1953)
• Pekka ja Pätkä lumimiehen jäljillä (1954)
• 1918 (1957)
• Miriam (1957)
• No Tomorrow (1957)
• Restless Night (1958)
• Moonwolf (1959)
• Mrs. Warren's Profession (1960)
• The Dead Eyes of London (1961)
• Doctor Sibelius (1962)
• The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1962)
• The Seventh Victim (1964)
• Der Hexer (1964)
• Let Not One Devil Cross the Bridge (1968)
• A Baltic Tragedy (1970)
• The Man Without a Past (2002)
• Anneli's Moment - Annelin aika (2024)^[7]