Solarfilms Inc.

Putting together the biggest project in the history of Finnish cinema poses the producer challenging and fascinating questions.
My perspective is a pragmatic one, because from a producer’s point of view, a movie is primarily made for the audiences who buy the tickets.
Simplistically, one could merely say that a massive project needs a massive audience. In a country with a small population, however, that is not necessarily an adequate equation. In such conditions, a movie also requires the input of both economic and human resources before it can be readied for distribution in Finland and abroad.
It is only then that the audience may become the judge of whether the project has made sense or not.
This is the reason why this movie in particular must deeply touch the heart of Finland. Its content must be historically accurate and of immediate human interest. It must provide its own evidence, not only for the importance of debate about a great Finn who left his mark on world history, and the shared histories of Finland and Russia, but also, above all, the value of Finnish cinema.
Mere calculation does not make a movie successful. A producer must know his math, but also be guided by his feelings. A producer must have an uncompromising ambition to do everything as well as possible, but not at all cost.
The risks are great, because in the movie business, success is a combination of numerous factors, both big and small.
With my hand on my heart, I ask myself the vital question as a producer: wouldn’t it be better to play it safe and not bite off more than is easy to chew?
My response is immediate: would I be a movie producer if I only wanted to play it safe?
Do I even have to answer that question?

Markus Selin
producer
Solar Films