A Finnish-German co-production brings ‘The Man Who Died’ to life

Oleg Jampolski of the German film company ndF has only good things to say about his experiences as associate producer for a new mini-series based on the book by Finnish novelist Antti Tuomainen.

People inside the film industry know that behind all the glitter and drama there are the people who do the hard shovel work needed to bring great stories to life. One good example of this is Berlin-based Oleg Jampolski, who is credited by his international teammates with smoothing the path for the mini-series The Man Who Died, premiering this Summer.

As the one responsible for business development at ndF (the German co-producer of the series) Jampolski explains it simply: “My primary role in the project was to to negotiate and draft contracts on the behalf of ndF IP that created our successful partnership with the Finnish production house ReelMedia Oy.”

Jampolski is quick to underline that “From day one we found an experienced, reliable partner on ReelMedia whom with we shared a same vision for the production. This also applied to the Finnish leading streaming service Elisa Viihde who ordered the series.

My boss at ndF, Eric Welbers, believed strongly in the project right from the start, and he made sure that the two companies were true partners who decided everything together. From the initial agreement that it should be a limited series for a global audience, through all subsequent major creative decisions – we decided them together.”

Hi-tech blended with pristine nature

Because of Covid, Jampolski was only able to visit Finland once, and did his work remotely via Teams during most of the one and half years of the project.

When it came to the actual shooting, he was finally able to make a set visit along with executive producer Eric Welbers, and they both loved it, recalling, “I was absolutely blasted by the mix of nature, culture, and high-tech that you have in Helsinki and the surrounding region. When we landed in Helsinki – an absolutely modern airport and gorgeous city – and then drove along the coast to the small town of Hamina, where our shoot was, you really feel the transition from hi-tech city to pristine nature. These two things being so close together really impressed us.”

Germans and Finns – a natural fit

When asked directly if he thinks it makes sense from an international perspective to co-produce films in Finland, Oleg Jampolski is emphatic: “Of course it does! There are so many great stories to tell in and about Finland. They are interesting for global audience, but you need to tell them in this special, original setting of the country. There are many cultural differences between European nationalities. German and Finnish mentalities are quite close to each other, especially when it comes to doing business. Finns are extremely punctual, extremely responsible – at least that was our consistent experience with ReelMedia."

Jampolski also emphasizes that “on the financing side, dealing with Business Finland regarding film incentives and related issues was completely pain-free from my perspective. Our Finnish co-producers smoothed the way at every stage, and the entire funding process was easy and convenient.” He pauses a moment, then laughs a bit, adding, “That’s of course probably what Business Finland wants to hear – but I’m saying it because it’s simply true.” Switching back to a more serious tone when asked to sum up his professional experience making a series in Finland, he states, “To put it diplomatically, acquiring Finnish filmmaking support requires the least manpower – and least bureaucratic hassle – of any country I’ve ever worked with”.

Links:

ReelMedia: The Man Who Died webpage

IMDb: The Man Who Died