Tom of Finland Biopic: a Queer Tale of Courage, Love & Freedom

Finnish director Dome Karukoski's biopic of Tom of Finland looks amazing, and will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this year.

Tom of Finland follows the real life story of artist Touko Laaksonen (Pekka Strang), who served in World War II and feared persecution for his sexuality in his Finland home country. Laaksonen ultimately found solace in his homoerotic drawings of leather clad men, which eventually caught the attention of an American publisher and led him to Los Angeles. There, he became a chief symbol of the gay rights movement and an icon under his moniker, "Tom of Finland."

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On opening night at the 40th Goteborg Film Festival in Sweden, where Tom of Finland screened, Karukoski came on stage to stress the importance of spreading Laaksonen's story as a way to advocate for freedom "so that we don't go back to the dark ages," Variety reports.

Take a look at the official trailer, below.