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,” producer Juha Löppönen (Mouka Filmi) tells Business Doc Europe.
They may not be the original line-up – the only one who has been there from the beginning is founder, Veli-Matti “Läjä” Äijälä – but each has their own tale to tell. Läjä fills his retirement days with music and art. Samppa walks the line between music and alcohol. Ilari’s life is overshadowed by sadness, while Lene relies on the band to keep his life together. They each hail from a different generation, but each has their music, the need to perform live on stage and the desire to be appreciated, etched into their DNA.
Yes, they are popular in Finland, but they have an even greater following in South America. What’s more, many other bands see them as the go-to exemplar of the genre, having influenced the likes of Mike Patton, Faith no More and Sepultura.
So far, producer Juha Löppönen (Mouka Filmi), has kept the project under wraps since 2023, and is presenting the project for the first time at FFA.
“It will be very curious to hear comments and reactions from the international decision makers. Domestic financiers have been impressed by the access we have built and all the potential our film has,” he says. The €500,000, 78-minute project is at late development stage, with support from the Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK and MES.
“We are slowly going public that this film will be made. It is really interesting to see how the project will be received internationally,” Löppönen adds. “Definitely the strongest elements in this production are the solid team and its vision. I’m also expecting the release year (2027, punk’s 50th birthday) to attract interest among festivals and financiers.”
Director Jukka Kärkkäinen has antecedents in the punk sector, having made The Punk Syndrome (2012) and Punk Voyage(2017). “He is the right guy for making this film,” says Löppönen. “He can tell touching and multi-layered stories of changing dynamics within groups. Jukka has a great ability of building trust and gaining access with the protagonists. Most of his films have a rather long shooting period that underline the changes and growth within the characters and, of course, the film’s story.”
“The film will be observational and authentic,” Löppönen further points out. “It will have punk rock in it: we will combine different elements like archives, photos, illustrations and of course a lot of music! We have a rather large collection of archives from the band’s early years to today that will bring depth to the story.”
The film will be ready by Summer 2027 and is set for that year’s Autumn festival season. “We are aiming to have a prestigious festival premiere followed by wide festival circulation. We will soon begin conversations with domestic cinema distribution, and are hoping to have Nordic and several European broadcasters involved.”
Löppönen’s goals at FFA are to find clear indications of the film’s international potential, and to start conversations with potential partners that he can follow up in the coming months, he says.
And what is Löppönen’s elevator pitch for the film? “Terveet Kädet will be a character-driven tribute to punk music,” he declares.
