KIANEWS Made in Finland - Mobile 101
25. 12. 2022 Sunday / By: Robert Denes / Generic / Exact time: BST / Print this page
M ade in Finland is a drama based on real events about Nokia's first steps towards global success. Who were the young and inventive lawyers, the brilliant engineers and the modern manager, whose courage saved the entire company? A Finnish drama series released in April-May 2022, which tells the story of the Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia's 1988-1990 journey towards global success.
At the same time, when disastrous profit prospects call for restructuring and all development work is frozen, Oulu engineer Risto Salminen wants to make the world's smallest and most durable mobile phone that everyone can afford. He secretly starts development work from his own funds. Jorma Ollila takes over as CEO of Nokia Mobile Phones because he believes Nokia still has a diamond in the rough.
The main roles of the series are played by Satu Tuuli Karhu (Rotten apple, Eden), Emil Kihlström (The visionary, where the creator), Aku Sipola (Hidden edge, Metsäjätti), Oona Airola (Hautalehto: Kylmä sili, Hotel Swan Helsinki). and Sampo Sarkola (Sorjonen, Ikitie). The series is directed by Jussi award winner Maarit Lalli (Kohta 18, Käenpesä, Sydänjää), who is also the creator and main writer of the series.
Made In Finland (2022) - Nokian Tarina (Kausi 1 - Jakso 1-6 - S01-06)
Maarit Lalli, the director and main writer of the series, became interested in how Nokia's success came about and what significance it has for the city of Salo. He made the final decision to make a film on the subject in 2013 after hearing that Microsoft had bought Nokia's mobile phone business. The idea developed into a television series in 2018 when producer Minna Haapkylä became interested in the topic. Among others, Lassi Vierikko, Jyrki Väisänen and Lall's son Henrik Mäki-Tanila wrote the screenplay together with Lall.
The events of the series are based on real events, except for the personal lives of the characters. For the script, Lalli interviewed... several people involved in the development of Nokia. The series was supposed to introduce the character played by actress Maria Kuusiluoma, but the person Kuusiluoman was supposed to play refused to use her name and background in the series. The creators of the series hope that the story will continue in the second and third seasons.
The series was produced by Rabbit Films, which also represents the series internationally. The series received significant support during the scripting phase from MTV, whose investment in the script was the largest to date. Filming of the series began in Oulu in April 2021 and continued until the autumn of the same year in locations such as Helsinki, Turku and Salo. The shooting took place in, among other places, office premises used by Nokia, Salo's former Seurahuone and Hotel Fjalar, named after Fjalar Nordelli, decorated in the style of the 1980s and 1990s. The scenes set in the United States were filmed in Munich.
The corona epidemic made filming a challenge, for example, a maximum of 15 people could take part in the group scenes at the same time. The series takes place between 1988-1990. This time was a turning point in the history of Nokia. The company's first phone was released in 1987. The following year, Motorola sued Nokia for patent infringement, and CEO Kari Kairamo committed suicide. As you could read - the series continues!
