Noticias

“Reindeer Mafia,” first called “Poromafia,” is an interesting new Nordic crime drama that won the Golden Venla Award for Best Drama Series in 2023. In this show, the snowy landscape serves as a metaphor for mental loneliness, exploring familial conflict and the haunting beauty of Finland’s Lapland.

The series looks at power, inheritance, and betrayal against the stark beauty of Finland. The cold landscape reflects the cold family relationships, where love isn’t as important as ambition. It’s reminiscent of old Westerns, but it takes place in the middle of winter, which gives it a constant weight.

Nordic crime fiction, which often has dark humor, makes people think about identity and morals. The reindeer represent the burdens of the characters’ heritage and the moral decline of society as they travel perilous physical and metaphorical paths. In the end, “Reindeer Mafia” challenges our ideas about family and ambition, and its...

Israel’s place at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest is under the microscope following a petition signed by more than 1,400 Finnish music industry professionals urging a ban due to alleged “war crimes.”

Echoing the state of play in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, the group says that local broadcaster Yle should threaten to pull Finland’s entry if the European Broadcasting Union (Ebu), which runs Eurovision, doesn’t take action. Signatories include Finnish artists Olavi Uusivirta, Paleface and Axel Ehnström, who represented Finland in Eurovision 2011 under the name Paradise Oskar. Icelandic musicians made similar demands to local network Rúv last month.

Lukas Korpelainen, the initiator of the petition, said to local paper Hufvudstadsbladet that “Israel violates human rights” and “we don’t think it’s okay for the country to be part of the Song Contest to polish its image.”

The Ebu has previously backed Israel, stating in December that...

The hit BBC drama “The Replacement” is set for a Finnish adaptation produced by Helsinki-filmi (“Tove”) for local streamer Elisa Viihde.

The Elisa Viihde original series has started filming in the metropolitan area of Helsinki under the helm of filmmaker Jyri Kähönen. It will launch on Elisa Viihde Viaplay streaming service in 2022, and is being represented in international markets by Sony Pictures Television.

Created by Joe Ahearne and Nicole Cauverien, “The Replacement” is an intense psychological thriller about the fear of losing one’s professional and personal life.

The Finnish adaptation is a three-part series penned by Mia Ylönen (“Tom of Finland”) and Tuuli Hostikka (“Tove”). The cast includes Maria Ylipää (“Arctic Circle”), Pamela Tola (“Ladies of Steel”) and Olavi Uusivirta (“The Sixth Time”). Sara Paavolainen and Eero Saarinen feature in other key roles.

The series will follow Ella, an architect who is about to get the greatest opportunity of her career,...

Pirjo Honkasolo’s Concrete Night and J-p Valkeapään’s They Have Escaped were among the winners at the Finnish Film Week (Sept 18-24) in Helsinki.

Honkasolo’s drama - Finland’s Best Foreign Language Film submission at the last Oscars - won awards for art director Pentti Valkeasuo and the team of gaffer Jani Lehtinen, camera operator Nea Salmisen, key grip/second unit cameraman Arttu Peltomaan and colour editor Jussi Myllyniemen.

Helsinki-Filmi’s Aleksi Bardy was named Producer of the Year for They Have Escaped, for which J-p Valkeapään was named Director of the Year.

Bardy, Valkeapään and screenwriter Pilvi Peltola have also been nominated for the Nordic Council Film Prize which will be announced during a session of the Nordic Council in Reykjavik on Oct 27.

Professional associations also recognised the achievements of screenwriter Petja Peltomaa, head of drama at Yellow Film & TV, and Iikka Vehkalahti, documentary filmmaker and Yle commissioning editor.

Actors to receive...