Soviet Bombs fall on Helsinki. This is 1939. Best-selling Finnish novelist Mika Waltari (“The Egyptian”) fights with his typewriter to create true lies for the Finnish Propaganda Unit to deceive the enemy. Meanwhile war correspondents, including one of the greatest – the American Martha Gelhorn, Ernest Hemingway’s wife to be – chase the truth. Side by side, propagandists and reporters find shelter at Helsinki’s grand neo-Renaissance Hotel Kämp.
These engrossing true events will be dramatized under the pen and direction of AJ Annila (“Shadow Lines,” “Peacemaker”) in the series “Helsinki 1939,” to be pitched at Tallinn TV Beats Co-financing Market Nov. 17.
The six-part series produced by Take Two Studios’ Eero Hietala and Sara Norberg, has landed an order by leading streaming service Elisa Viihde for Finland and Estonia.
Annila, whose career kicked off with the genre pics “Jade Warrior” (2006) and “Sauna” (2008), has made a name in recent years with high-end character and visually-driven series such as the period piece “Shadow Lines,” sold by About Premium Content to a raft of key territories including Sundance Now for the U.S., Canada and UK.
Speaking to Variety ahead of TV Beats, AJ Annila said he literally fell in love with the “Helsinki 1939” concept when producer and Take Two Studios CEO Eero Hietala first pitched it to him in 2024. The latter had heard about the Finnish war propaganda unit set up to fight the Soviets during the Winter War from his friend-author and former crime detective Kimmo Nokkonen who “has a good nose for exciting historical stories.”
“He had stumbled on the topic, which proved to be a Pandora’s box of incredible real-life characters,” Hietala enthused. “The fact that Mika Waltari was leading the propaganda unit added to my interest. He’s the most legendary, albeit at times troubled, Finnish author.”
Although Annila had a feature film in mind after three series in row – “Peacemaker,” “Shadow Lines” and “Codename: Annika” – he said. “Helsinki 1939” was a story and TV show that he had to put his stamp on. “We’ve had a lot of great films about the Winter War, but frankly the classic takes were getting a bit boring. By telling the 105 days of war through the amazing true and colorful stories that unfolded at Helsinki’s Hotel Kämp, you have a fresh angle. On top of that, a very topical subject matter which is propaganda.”
“Look at the story of the Ghost of Kyiv, about the Ukrainian pilot who supposedly had shot down Russian planes,” Annila continues, bringing the topic back to Russia’s current war in Ukraine. “That pilot never existed. But the question is: Did that fabricated story actually help or harm the cause of Ukraine? I find this question of war-time propaganda fascinating!”
The beating heart of the show will be the luxurious Hotel Kämp – still standing – a microcosm from which the fate of one nation was shaped, a buzzy temporary home to more than 40 war correspondents, Finnish information officers, on top of other rich and famous and hotel staff members. Digging into the tone, Annila said the character-driven show will be “colorful, emotional, brave, dark and light.” “I will contrast the lavish lives of the hotel dwellers, partying and dining with the horrors of war. A bit like in ‘Titanic,’ you will see the band playing until the end, while the world around is sinking.”
Commenting on their latest event series order, Elisa Chief Content Officer Ani Korpela said: “We’re thrilled to collaborate with AJ Annila again. He previously directed the Elisa Viihde original series “Shadow Lines” [Season 1 in 2018, Season 2 in 2020], a Cold War era spy thriller that became a domestic hit in Finland and was widely distributed internationally. ‘Helsinki 1939’ continues that trajectory, a truly authentic international project designed to resonate with audiences in Finland and around the world.”
Elisa executive producer Sari Lampiänen said: “What could be a better combination than AJ Annila’s unique vision and bold, fun cinematic style paired with world-changing events that still resonate today? For us, it’s essential that our original series are both entertaining and meaningful, reflecting the world around us. The way the information we’re exposed to, starting with traditional news, shapes how we see the world, in times of crisis or otherwise, remains one of the most relevant questions of our time.”
Hietala said the show has received development support from leading Helsinki-based fund management IPR.VC, as part of a multi-title slate, which takes in as well the anticipated crime series “Hildur.” At Tallinn’s fifth TV Beats Co-Financing Market, Take Two Studios will be looking for co-pro partners, gap financing, and distributors.
“Helsinki 1939” is one of seven high-end international series competing in Tallinn for the coveted Council of Europe Series Co-Production Development Award, worth €50,000 ($58,600).
The TV Beats Forum runs Nov. 17-18 in Tallinn as part of the Black Nights Film Festival’s Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event confab.
variety.com
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