Finnish talent supports Swedish success

This Swedish production company’s managing director is proud of her Finnish roots – but that’s not what makes Finland her top go-to country when looking for talent.

Managing Director of the production house Anagram Sweden, Miira Paasilinna, instantly makes it clear that she values competence and talent much more than which country she finds them in. Finnish-born and partly raised and schooled in the USA, Paasilinna now lives and works in Malmö, Sweden, and has great things to say about working closely with Finnish film professionals.

During the past three years, Anagram Sweden has made four big TV series that were co-produced in Finland. These include seasons one and two for a couple of very well received TV series – Thin Blue Line (Tunna Blå Linjen) and The Machinery.

Paasilinna explains, “Mainly the work we did in Finland for these series was in post-production, though with The Machinery we also had some Finnish cast as well as some highly skilled Finnish lighting technicians and other crew members. In Sweden at the moment there is a huge demand for technical professionals in the film sector, so we’re very happy to be able to find the expertise we need in Finland – as the Finns have a well-earned reputation for being very good. By this I mean they’re punctual and reliable, they don’t complain about anything, and they seem to get along with everybody. To say it quite directly, Finns are the ones you are least likely to have any issue with.”

Paasilinna continues, “Another very important thing for us in the post-production phase for a series like Thin Blue Line, which has a huge amount of material, is that almost all Finns understand Swedish even if they’re not comfortable speaking Swedish. So, for example, they know when a phrase ends. We’ve co-produced, for example, with Belgium, Poland, Germany, and Canada – and of course they have no idea what’s being said. So this obviously gives Finns a huge advantage.”

However, she’s quick to insist that her conclusion is not merely because of her Finnish roots: “If you ask anyone at Anagram, they will say immediately that it’s easiest to co-produce with Finland.” Paasilinna recalls that counting on her Finnish partners became even more important when Anagram was shooting during the depths of the Covid-19 epidemic. “It of course brought additional stress and complexity to already complex processes, so having Finnish professionals in the mix who were able to adapt to unexpected changes and simply be completely ready to do their work was particularly valuable. When Covid hit we were just about done with shooting season one of both Thin Blue Line and The Machinery, so we had to do all the post production remotely, and this further built our trust about co-producing with Finnish partners – how we were able to get things to work even when unexpected things like Covid happen. And even comparing Swedish crews with Finnish crews I found that the Finns are just incredibly easy to work with – even more so during those challenging Covid times.”

Miira Paasilinna points out that even before she joined Anagram the company had a long tradition of co-producing Finnish productions, partly thanks to a former managing director, Martin Persson (Currently one of the executive producers on Thin Blue Line) and his friendship with Aleksi Bardy from the Finnish production house Helsinki-filmi. “Frankly, it’s a good fit geographically as well – it’s just easy. For example, we’ve done numerous productions with Helsinki-filmi, MRP, and others, so we have a long and very positive tradition.

Stereotypes? What stereotypes?

Paasilinna is quick to push back against any tired cliches about how Finns and Swedes have different – or even incompatible – ways of getting things done. “I think that Swedish perceptions of Finns may be a bit industry-specific, as Swedish filmmakers are very aware of what Finns have accomplished in our sector. There are a number of great Finnish filmmakers and cinematographers, and Finland is well-known for its documentaries. In fact, the head of the Swedish Film Institute for several years, Jörn Donner, was Finnish. So how Finns are seen in the Swedish film industry may be a bit different than in other sectors. I think there is a lot of respect for them – which is why here in Sweden Finns are often considered the first choice of nationality to work with. And it’s not just behind the camera, it’s also in front of the camera. For example, there’s no ‘diva element’ with Finnish actors – and what’s not to like about that?”

Of course, every culture has its own style when it comes to getting things done, and Paasilinna notes one thing she and her Swedish colleagues have sometimes had to adjust to regarding business communication. “The Finns tend to have a different style than the Swedes when it comes to emailing. Finns may send a one line message, and there’s no preamble about ‘How are you doing?’ etc. Instead, they tend to be very straight and to the point. From the Swedish side, this may raise the question, ‘Are they mad at us?’. But of course it’s just a different style that one quickly learns to adapt to.”

About those Finnish film incentives…

Miira Paasilinna also as some positive things to say about Finland’s film incentives…along with a couple of caveats. “Finland’s film incentive process, compared with some from other countries I’ve been involved with, is fairly smooth. The incentive advisors on the Finnish side are accessible and easy to talk with. There had been a question about whether technical people could be counted within the subsidy, and perhaps this could be adjusted even more than it now has been. Of course, producers always hope for bigger budgets, and it was a positive development that Finland did increase their film subsidy levels last year, which suggests that Finland understands what they may need to offer to compete even better at the top levels internationally.

Speaking about the further development of pan-Nordic film production cooperation, Paasilinna sees the trend as simply continuing to deepen and increase. “For example, one of our own current productions is itself very much about both Swedish and Finnish culture. There’s such a deep natural tie between Finland and Sweden, both due to the partly shared language and history, and also because so many Finns are living in Sweden. And, with the current war, the Nordic countries naturally feel even more tied together with a common position, values, and interests. We have a sister company in Norway, so we’re very pan-Nordic in this way too, though it’s actually been easier to get funding from Finland than Norway.” Paasilinna pauses a moment before making what for her is an essential point: “But of course, funding doesn’t mean nearly as much as the fact that Finnish companies do great work – and they are ready when we are.”