Introduction

Conflict (Finnish: Konflikti) is a six-part Finnish-American TV miniseries directed by Finnish Aku Louhimies.

A small seaside town is preparing to celebrate midsummer’s eve. An unknown enemy arrives and takes the entire area hostage.

Outline

In the first episode of the series, the Hanko Peninsula (Finnish: Hankoniemi) in southern Finland is preparing to celebrate midsummer’s eve when unidentified enemies invade the region. As a result, conflicts erupt both within the country’s leadership and among the Finns who remain stuck in the occupied territory.

Cast

• Sara Soulié as President Linnea Saaristo
• Peter Franzén as Captain Rami Ohrankämmen
• Pirkka-Pekka Petelius as Prime Minister Kai Laavakuru
• Julia Korpinen as Annika Berg
• Salah Isse Mohamed as Youssuf Osman
• Charles Gibbons as Jeff Williams
• Rory Fleck Byrne as Joshua Belfort
• Nadia Forde as Claire Belfort
• Luke Sharland as Terrance Belfort
• Moe Dunford as Major Brady
• Elias Keränen as Lieutenant Kiiskinen
• Vincent Willestrand as NCO Merinen
• Matti Ristinen as Chief of Operations Kuusela
• Mia Hafrén as Chief of Communications Sandelin
• Elias Gould as Sergeant Haju
• Akseli Kouki as Kim Kontiainen
• Reetta Ylä-Rautio as Siiri Skog
• Aleksi Kaukamo as Juuso Jaakkola
• Salomon Z. Patrick as Ilmari Laine
• Akseli Ilvesniemi as Matti Rannila
• Hector Björklund as Antti Suuros
• Janne Vakio as Adjutant Autio
• Jannika Niilerpalo as Bodyguard Noora
• Mikko Mars as Man at the party
• Onni Adams as Conscript at the roadblock
• Coastal Fleet, FDF as Missile boat personnel
• Air Force Academy, FDF as Air Operations Center
• Esa Karppinen as Enemy Soldier on the road
• Sonja Hietanen as AMV Driver
• Beata Schouwvlieger as VIP at the party
• Silja Schouwvlieger as VIP at the party

Production

Conflict was awarded at the Kultainen Venla gala in January 2025 as the best drama series of the previous year and Aku Louhimies for the best fiction director. Louhimies was also nominated for his script. However, the series received a mixed reception from critics and the public, where it was criticised and praised partly for the same things. The most discussed was its veracity and relevance to the day during the acts of harassment that took place in the Russian Baltic Sea at the same time, although Louhimies said that he had dropped many events that seemed too current from the script. The prominent role of the Finnish Defence Forces in the series increased the realism of the series, which was perceived as frightening. Film critic Kalle Kinnunen saw the series as a useless and idle presentation of the equipment of the defence forces, and sports and cultural influencer Alpo Suhonen considered the series “vomiting militarism, in rally English”. On the one hand, the casting of female actors as key political decision-makers in Finland was praised, but on the other hand, the introduction of the two most important female characters at the beginning of the series through sex scenes was criticised.

Trivia

• The first part of the series reached more than a million people in its first week of presentation.
• The show rights of the series have been sold to several European countries, including France, Poland, Spain and the Baltic states, and in Ukraine, according to Louhimies, the television series is shown without compensation.
• The director, Aku Louhimies, is a senior lieutenant of Finnish Defence Forces (in the reserves).

Konflikti Series

• Episode 01: Miehitys (The Occupation).
• Episode 02: Reaktio (The Reaction).
• Episode 03: Vastarinta (The Resistance).
• Episode 04: Petos (The Betrayal).
• Episode 05: Uhraus (The Sacrifice).
• Episode 06: Hyökkäys (The Attack).

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s):
  • Aku Louhimies … (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
• Producer(s):
  • Andrei Alén … producer (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Jani Hartikainen … commissioner: MTV3 (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Tommi Kangasmaa … executive producer (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Mikko Kodisoja … executive producer (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Petteri Koponen … executive producer (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Aku Louhimies … producer (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Kimmo Manninen … line producer (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Nick Spicer … executive producer (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Aram Tertzakian … executive producer (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Kiira Tiainen … producer (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Ellinoora Uusi-Kartano … executive producer: MTV3 (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Janne Vakio … executive producer: MTV3 (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Jukka Valtanen … line producer (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Marci Wiseman … executive producer (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Maxime Cottray … executive producer (unknown episodes)
  • Ingvar Þórðarson … co-producer (uncredited) (1 episode, 2024)
• Writer(s):
  • Andrei Alén … (creator) (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Andrei Alén … (developed by) (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Andrei Alén … (writer) (5 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Helena Immonen … (developed by) (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Aku Louhimies … (creator) (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Aku Louhimies … (developed by) (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Aku Louhimies … (writer) (2 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Jari Olavi Rantala … (developed by) (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Jari Olavi Rantala … (writer) (4 episodes, 2024)
• Music:
  • Lasse Enersen … (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
• Cinematography:
  • Ants Martin Vahur … (6 episodes, 2024-2025)
• Editor(s):
  • Marion Koppel … (3 episodes, 2024-2025)
  • Antony Bentley … (2 episodes, 2024)
  • Benjamin Mercer … (1 episode, 2024)
• Production:
  • Backmann & Hoderoff
  • Business Finland (Backed By)
  • C More
  • Mainostelevisio (MTV3)
  • XYZ Films
• Distributor(s):
  • MTV3 (television channel)
  • MYV Katsomo (streaming service)
  • Keshet International (worldwide) (video)
• Release Date: 30 November 2024 to 04 January 2025.
• Running Time: 60 minutes.
• Rating: Unknown.
• Country: Finland and US.
• Language: Finnish and English.

Video Link(s)