Eija-Liisa Ahtila explores and experiments with narrative storytelling in her films and cinematic installations. Her works deal with separation, loss, sexuality, relationships among family members, mental disintegration, and death. They investigate the processes of perception and the attribution of meaning in the light of a larger cultural and existential thematic like colonialism and faith. Her skillfully crafted narratives and touching portrayal of characters have captured the public's interest and won critical acclaim worldwide. The films attain an air of contemporary familiarity combined with intense oddness, giving Ahtila’s work its distinctive style. Her films have won several international film awards. A retrospective of her films have been shown at major festivals throughout the world. A retrospective of her installation works has been shown in some of the most prominent contemporary art museums worldwide.