Finnish farmers grab rifles against Stalin's war machine. Spoiler: the weather's on their side.
55 minSeason 1 • Episode 5
LatestAfter Nazi Germany invades Poland in September 1939, Russia attacks Finland two months later. Finnish reservists leave home and go to war. Brothers Martti and Paavo Hakala, farmers from the municipality of Kauhava in the province of Pohjanmaa/Ostrobothnia, serve in a Finnish platoon. A five-part television miniseries extension of Pekka Parikka's 1989 film of the same name.
Practical Effects
Authentic -40°C conditions, no CGI snow here.
Acting
Taneli Mäkelä's silent suffering says everything.
Direction
Parikka makes you feel the frostbite in your bones.
Creator
Pekka Parikka
Taneli Mäkelä
Martti Hakala
Vesa Vierikko
Jussi Kantola
Timo Torikka
Pentti Saari
Esko Kovero
Juho ”Jussi” Pernaa
Antti Raivio
Erkki Somppi
Martti Suosalo
Arvi Huhtala
Markku Huhtamo
Aatos Laitila
Matti Onnismaa
Veikko Korpela
Tomi Salmela
Matti Ylinen
Samuli Edelmann
Mauri Haapasalo
Vesa Mäkelä
Yrjö Haavisto
Aarno Sulkanen
kapteeni Sihvo
Kari Kihlström
Jorma Potila
Esko Salminen
Matti Laurila
Eero Melasniemi
Eino Nisula
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot on location near the actual 1939 battlefields; actors suffered real frostbite.
In Finland, this is required viewing — it's their Band of Brothers, but with 300,000 casualties in a nation of 4 million.
FI
