TÄHTITEHDAS PODCAST

Solar Republic and Podme present: Tähtitehdas! The iconic film company Solar Films celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Every Tuesday from 23.9.2025, a new film will be in your ears – including Stormskerry Maja, Bad Boys, The Purge and many more. Take your popcorns and join host Marja Hintikka and the guests on Podme!

Episode 1: The Restless – "So I kept it inside"
The film's tagline "When nothing is enough" and numerous hot sex scenes defined the zeitgeist of the early 2000s. Mikko Nousiainen and Laura Malmivaara reminisce together about the most sensational production of their time and emotions rise to the surface. Restless was the first feature film by Aku Louhimies, who had a brilliant career as a director – a huge success and a true generational experience. What was completely exceptional about the rehearsal process for the film from the actors' point of view? How did the young actor's self-esteem withstand the director's surprising comment the day before shooting started? Why did the marketing, which focused on sex scenes, frustrate the main stars of the film?

Episode 2: Vintiöt – "It was a great jump"
What happens when a bunch of boys who have known each other since childhood get together on Sundays and use a video camera to film their ideas from the previous night at the pub table into sketches? The result is "Vintiöt" – one of the all-time cult series in Finnish TV. Santeri Kinnunen and Kari Hietalahti explain how a sold-out Finnish tour managed to make a six-figure loss. Also, the whole truth about a much talked about swimming trip on board a Viking Line ship is revealed – finally!

Episode 3: Giant hits – "Luckily, Vesku forgot about it"
Finland's most internationally successful male stars Jasper Pääkkönen and Peter Franzén were seen together in Solar Films' hit films Matti, Bad Boys and Hellsinki. What kind of "fire tests" did Peter and Jasper undergo at the hands of Markus Selin before they ended up in the legendary producer's films? Where did the iconic Bad Boys poster end up, and what kind of relationship do the "brothers" have nowadays? And why was it chosen not to meet the man whose life was being made into a film?

Episode 4: Vares – "The clothes were torn off"
Jussi Vares is Finland's James Bond. Aleksi Mäkelä and Markus Selin recall their months of muteness caused by editing conflicts, and seven Vares veteran Antti Reini tells what it was like to shoot four films at once. But why did they have to buy own fire truck for the first Vares? And how did Markus Selin's credit card pin code end up decorating the crew's jackets? And what is the Nummela index?

Episode 5: Jokinen & Kosonen – "Here is my future wife"
The most international "power couple" in the Finnish film world, director Antti J. Jokinen and actress Krista Kosonen dive into a flood of memories in an extraordinary joint interview. The couple's stories include glimpses of big-world superstars from Ryan Gosling to Will Smith - but also the norm of two artists and two children, with all their challenges. But why did Krista challenge Ant to a wrestling match in the hotel lobby? And what's it like to direct your own wife in an intimate scene? And where did the couple meet when Krista was only 16 before their first project together?

Episode 6: Jussi the Millionaire – "We were scared all the time"
The first and most expensive reality production of its time in Finland took 14 young women to the castle of an eccentric count in the south of France, and a penniless restaurant worker to play a millionaire. What could go wrong? Series producer Petteri Ahomaa and presenter Erja Häkkinen laugh with tears in their eyes at what happened 20 years ago – enough to fill more than 30 tabloid headlines.

Episode 7: Stormskerry Maja – "All the oxygen gone"
Stormskerry Maja was not a sure hit: a historical drama in Swedish, starring Swedish actors unknown in Finland and set in the remote Åland Islands. Director Tiina Lymi and producer Jukka Helle openly talk about the huge risks involved, but the risks were worth taking. Almost half a million viewers and six Jussi Awards speak for themselves.

Episode 8: The Grump – "The biggest problem is the unlivable life"
Tuomas Kyrö, the "father" of The Grump, and its most influential interpreter, the legendary Heikki Kinnunen, reflect on life and the popularity of The Grump. The stories range from Markus Selin's mother to Pierce Brosnan, and Heikki's first role as Jörö in Snow White play at the age of 9. We also hear about the origins of the cornerstone of The Grump character: who lent Tuomas the fur hat he needed for the book's cover? And who was the real person who originally uttered the words? "It sure ruined my day.."? And what was it like to do a scene with a two-day-old counterpart?

Episode 9: The Tough Ones & The Tough Ones 2 – "The situation is impossible"
The Tough Ones achieved legendary status – both in terms of audience appeal and colourful production. Samuli Edelmann and Sari Havas reminisce about both films – a long way from the grim and damp of the late 90s. More than 330 000 admissions in cinemas and hundreds of thousands more in video and TV were a huge number at the turn of the millennium and an essential part of the new rise of Finnish cinema.

Episode 10: Harlin & Selin – "You're my best friend"
Renny and Markus, men of a thousand pranks, finally confess their love for each other – the greatest bromance of our time meets again, over a few light long drinks of course. Renny Harlin and Markus Selin recall their first meeting in the early 1980s, the filming of the "madman's project", Born American, and many other unimaginable coincidences from decades ago.