Armi Ratia (1912–1979) is one of the best known Finnish entrepreneurs and corporate executives. She created the iconic design company Marimekko and its pure visual style that is synonymous to modern Finnish design. As a private person as well as a business personality, she was boundless and courageous, unreasonable and extremely dedicated.

Armi Alive! is a portrayal of a theatre company that is preparing a play about Armi Ratia. Maria, who plays Armi’s role, is in the lead when the group keeps asking who this strange woman really is. The play focuses in Armi’s life between the years 1949 and 1968, when she founds the fashion company Marimekko, leads it to an international success, and is finally forced to ponder her relationship with the company: does Marimekko need Armi, or does Armi need Marimekko? During the rehearsal process, the actress Maria struggles with Armi’s contradictions and tries to find the truth and the person behind the legend.

Armi Alive! was the Official Closing Film at the Göteborg International Film Festival in 2015 and screened in the Main Competition of Moscow International Film Festival the same year. In Finland the film was awarded with two Jussi Awards (Finnish equivalent to Oscars) for Best Script and Best Production Design.