TV Beats Co-Financing Market

Helsinki 1939

Original title
Helsinki 1939
Country
Finland
Language
Swedish, Finnish, German, English
Genre
Historical drama
Logline

An international team of war correspondents fights to report the truth. The Finnish propaganda unit feeds them lies - to defeat an overwhelming enemy.

Synopsis

"Helsinki 1939" is the true story of war correspondents who lived in the sumptuous Hotel Kämp as Soviet planes bombarded the city. Despite the constant threat, they pursued life and sought the truth at any cost. Meanwhile, the Finnish Propaganda Unit tried to control the truth by any means necessary. The nation’s best storytellers and spies operated at Hotel Kämp. In a cat-and-mouse game, they hid the truth about Finnish casualties, created legends, framed false war pictures, and even staged war fronts for the correspondents to visit.

For 105 days, Hotel Kämp stood as the city burned around it. Truth was sought, bent, and sometimes saved.

More info about the project
Director's note

This is about the lies we have to tell in order to survive. To ourselves, to others, to the world.

This is about asking if the end justifies the means. In a war, perhaps it does, but what about in fiction? Can we tell lies about true history and real people to make a more entertaining concept? We have, we can, and we will – but we have to be careful. Propaganda is a dangerous tool, even in the right hands, as we can no longer tell what is true.

"Helsinki 1939" aims to keep the audience guessing what is true and what is fiction – and, in the end, underline that it does not matter. The truth will come out.

"Helsinki 1939" is an entertaining, character-driven true story based on lies: colourful, emotional, brave, dark and light. We bring the 1930s to life from a point of view you have not seen – and it is the most amazing story, as it is all true.

Almost.

Producer's note

When we first heard about the information war during the Winter War, we were immediately excited about the idea. The topic of war propaganda quickly emerged at the centre, which felt timely due to the war in Ukraine. The international and well-known group of war correspondents residing in the Kämp Hotel amid the war was both a fascinating and cinematic setting. A hastily assembled propaganda unit and a fake front in Helsinki, designed under the leadership of Mika Waltari, brought almost absurd elements to the real events.

When we began broader background research on the topic in the autumn of 2023, diving into literature and archives, the incredible twists of the true story and its characters began to unfold in their full scope, and we realised we were onto something unique. This was a story that had to be told. The project development began with funding from IPR.vc.

Since it was clear that this was an ambitious and international project, the choice of writer-director was obvious. When AJ Annila saw our preliminary plans and our background research in early 2024, he insisted on being part of the project. We started development immediately, and AJ has been writing the treatments and creating the bible for the series. We pitched the project to Elisa Viihde, and they loved it. We are now developing the series together with Elisa Viihde, and they have just commissioned the pilot script and updated treatments. The target would be to finalise the pilot script by the end of the year and start negotiating with possible co-producers/financiers at Berlinale 2025.

"Helsinki 1939" is an incredible true story about a propaganda group led by writer Mika Waltari, who tried to control the truth during the Winter War, which foreign war correspondents staying at Hotel Kämp feverishly pursued. The hotel was a unique microcosm from which the fate of one nation was shaped. The series is an entertaining and colourful character-driven drama full of suspense, love, espionage – credible lies and unbelievable truths.

"Helsinki 1939" aims to keep the audience guessing what is true and what is fiction. Propaganda is a dangerous tool, even in the right hands, as we can no longer tell what is true or false.

Subjects:
based on a true story, individual vs society, history, satire, politics

Director
AJ Annila
Screenwriter
AJ Annila
Producer
Sara Norberg, Eero Hietala
Production
Take Two Studios
Project Status
Development
Budget
6000000 €
Financed
70000 €
Looking for
foreign broadcasters, co-producers
Number of episodes
6
Duration
45
Contact name
Eero Hietala
Contact email
eero@taketwo.fi
Producer
Sara Norberg

Norberg is a partner at Take Two Studios and serves as the COO. As a producer and executive producer, she has overseen documentary series, drama series, feature films, and entertainment programmes. She is an experienced leader with over 20 years in the entertainment industry. Before joining Take Two, she was the CEO of the production company Cinematic.

Producer
Eero Hietala

Eero Hietala is the co-founder and CEO of Take Two Studios. He specialises in storytelling and the international content business. Prior to founding Take Two, Hietala co-founded the production company Aito Media, which he led together with Ilkka Hynninen for 19 years. Before the founders’ successful exit, Aito Media had become an award-winning Nordic production company involved in all television genres. Hietala was involved in every chapter of the company’s story as it grew to become one of Finland’s largest production houses. He has acted as an executive producer across all genres – fiction, factual, entertainment, documentaries, and studio shows – and has served as executive producer on nearly 200 seasons or one-off titles.