Finnish Film Affair 25

The Recovery is a powerful and timeless story of resilience and transformation, telling of Pekka Hyysalo, a rising pro-freestyle skier battling to reclaim his life and identity after a devastating accident. “This story has all the attributes to positively affect people from all walks of life to go the extra mile, and face the hardships that life throws at us all,” producer Van Padhaal tells BDE.

Fifty years after the birth of punk, legendary Finnish hardcore outfit Terveet Kädet will be celebrated, loud and proud, in Jukka Kärkkäinen’s eponymously-titled feature doc, scheduled for delivery in 2027. “Even though the film has a bit of stardust sprinkled on top of it, the main storyline revolves around the individuals of the band and what being part of the band means to them. The film will be a character-driven tribute to punk music,” producer Juha Löppönen tells Business Doc Europe.

The brain of Nikke, who has Down’s Syndrome, sees and expresses the world differently, much of the time via the medium of drawing. In Sanna Liinamaa’s hybrid doc, Nikke’s brain leaps from his skull and undertakes an adventure through an animated world. “His Down’s syndrome is not at the centre of the film, but it is part of his background and influences the way he sees and expresses the world,” Finnish producer Jorma Kaulanen tells BDE. “[The film] is a visual, emotional and playful journey into the human mind.”

“The project selections this year were really tough, simply because there were so many strong candidates with compelling perspectives and bold stories. In fact, our Fiction in Development and Documentary open calls both received almost twice as many projects compared to last year, which goes to show the desirability and necessity for an industry event such as ours,” comments Head of Industry Lydia Taylerson. The FFA Showcase Day will take place September 25 in Helsinki.

Identity and belonging are at the heart of Finnish Einari Paakkanen’s feature doc in which two women fight to prove that Kven culture – a Norwegian minority culture with Finnish roots – is alive and kicking, even as everybody tries to convince them otherwise. “Director Einari has a unique cabability to get close to his characters, and he has a very warm-hearted approach. His films are both emotional and humouristic. This is definitely a strength for the production.” says producer Marianne Mäkelä (napafilms).

In Taliban‑ruled Afghanistan, a small circle of young women risks everything to meet in secret and read banned books – from Anne Frank’s Diary to Michelle Obama’s Becoming. “Thanks to the directors’ persistence and the rare access they secured, we now have a Finnish-Norwegian co-production with clear space for further international partners to join what is truly a one-of-a-kind film,” Finnish producer Marko Talli tells BDE of his FFA project.

Noted Finnish actress Pihla Viitala (Deadwind, Netflix) makes her directorial debut with the feature doc Carmen!, described as “a powerful portrait of girlhood, following a Finnish Romani girl’s rarely seen journey from the innocence of childhood to the struggles of womanhood.” The film is produced by Elise Pietarila of Finnish production company Gimmeyawallet. “The beauty of the film is that, despite the challenges of Carmen’s life, the film isn’t a sob story - quite the opposite,” Pietarila tells Business Doc Europe.