On the occasion of the release of “SISU – Gold and Blood” by Jalmari Helander, here are five things to know about this very gory Finnish survival.
What is it about ? Finland, 1944. In the wild and hostile nature of Lapland, then occupied by the Nazis, a former soldier discovers a gold deposit. Ready to do anything to save his precious loot, he will stop at nothing, even if it means having to assassinate every last SS man who gets in his way.
A duo and an idea
Producer Petri Jokiranta and screenwriter and director Jalmari Helander met in 2008. After collaborating on their first two films, Father Christmas Origins (2010) and Big Game (2014), they felt it was time to develop a project for a more adult audience.
“Jalmari wanted to revisit his childhood dreams and shoot an action movie, eighties style, but in Finland. He had the idea of a survival story, centered around a single man who simply refuses to die”recalls the first.
A Finnish Rambo
Since discovering Rambo, Jalmari Helander has had the ambition to shoot a Finnish action film with Petri Jokiranta. When their new project had to be interrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the two men decided to tackle a feature film that could be shot entirely in Finland with a locally recruited team.
Helander then took the time to write the scenario he had always dreamed of: in less than two months, the first version of SISU was finalized: “The starting point is the same as in Rambo: a hardened man faces, alone, the wild nature and a formidable enemy. SISU does not take itself too seriously, but the atmosphere is dark and violent.”
2023 Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. Jorma Tommila
Who for the lead role?
After directing Jorma Tommila in Father Christmas Origins and Big Game, Jalmari Helander approached the actor very early on to offer him the role of Aatami. Jorma had then mainly performed in the theater for a few years, and he was happy to find the film sets:
“Jalmari sent me the script and I was immediately captivated. The story was great and I thought we were going to have a lot of fun during the filming, especially with Jalmari. I detected a stubbornness and a certain determination in Aatami which also characterizes us, Jalmari and me.”
Preparation for Jorma Tommila
If he first wondered if he was able to embody such a physical role, Jorma Tommila considered that he was up to the challenge and began to train. But his preparation was not only sporting. The actor explains: “I was interested in gold diggers and situations where a single man could find himself surrounded and attacked from all sides.”
“I also documented the history of Lapland, the emotional and spiritual dimension of the country, and I tried to immerse myself in these landscapes and this culture. My father was at war, so that, thanks to him, I understood what one could feel in this type of context, but my research allowed me to better project myself into certain phases of his life.”
2023 Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
Aksel Hennie
Freezing and windy shoot
SISU was shot in Lapland, in autumn, an ideal season to highlight the landscapes of the region. Jalmari Helander notes: “The nature of Lapland in autumn is adorned with bright colors, which last only a few weeks, and we very rarely see this aspect of the region in the cinema.”
“When you choose filming locations carefully, you don’t have to build very expensive sets. Filming was very difficult, especially since some sites are not accessible by road. Luckily, the inhabitants of the corner welcomed us warmly.”
But filming in Lapland had a major drawback: the freezing temperatures and the very strong wind to which the actors had to adapt. Jorma Tommila testifies: “At times it was so cold that our muscles were all stiff and we had chapped skin.”
“Lapland is not a land of filming. The landscapes are sublime in the image, but it is a very harsh environment.”
Although the wind, incessant, was blowing at nearly 100 km/h most of the time, one night remained etched in the memory of the actors: the one when the wind finally calmed down and when the scenes of the hanging of Aatami could be rotated. Comedian Jack Doolan says:
“It might look a little macabre and twisted, but I really liked that scene. I felt like I was enjoying those moments.”