Full marks for Tampere as a filming location

“Probably we’ll be back. Absolutely we will!” When the Helsinki-based Fire Monkey Productions has almost finished shooting their new political thriller Enemy of the People in Tampere, they do not hesitate to plan future productions in the Tampere region.

Film Tampere is working towards making Tampere, Finland a significant international city of audiovisual productions. The region has a lot to offer: expertise, facilities, locations and the production incentive. All this has made a growing number of productions to choose Tampere.

– Tampere is a very competitive filming location at the moment, that’s why productions re coming here, says Hannu Kalliolahti, CEO of Fire Monkey Productions.

The spirit of Tampere

This summer, crime series Enemy of the People has been filmed in numerous locations in the Tampere Region. Production company Fire Monkey gives full marks for cooperation to the City of Tampere, Film Tampere and local companies. It is evident that the locals are enthusiastic about Tampere being such a rising place for audiovisual productions.

– First of all, Film Tampere helped us to estimate the share of costs that would be used in the Tampere Region. We were able to make accurate calculations in advance, says Kalliolahti.

– A heartfelt welcome has radiated from all forms of cooperation, and the City of Tampere has truly been involved in the production, says Producer Saara Kankaanpää.

– For example, I was allowed to choose paintings from the collection of the Tampere Art Museum for our sets. So when you see the pictures of “former editor-in-chiefs” hanging on the wall, they are actually minor historical dignitaries from Tampere, says Production Designer Tiina Paavilainen. 

Companies, big and small, are also acknowledged for their collaboration. As Enemy of the People happens in the world of investigative journalism, the local newspaper Aamulehti was one of the crucial partners. They helped to create a convincing newsroom environment and even printed a special newspaper for the production.

Short travel times, expertise available

There were a couple of big productions running in the Tampere Region when Fire Monkey started their production. Still, professional workforce was available in the region. Especially Akun Tehdas (Aku’s Factory) was a significant local partner that opened many doors.

If something came as a surprise, it was the short distances in the region: there is a great amount of places within 15 minutes reach. The more there is people to move from place to place in your production, the more you’ll save time – and money.

– It’s just superb how travel times are just a fraction of what they were in Helsinki, and still there are as many things available as in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, says Kalliolahti.

Crime drama in Tampere

Although there were other options to begin with, Enemy of the People now happens in Tampere. The eight-part crime drama is about news reporter Katja, who writes a critical article about the local football hero and incurs the wrath of her readers. Tampere is noticeably present in the series.

– It’s been a pleasure to get acquainted with Tampere, its neighbourhoods, diversity and layers. Anything can be found in Tampere, we even had a Stockholm, Sweden here, says Paavilainen.

Enemy of the People will premiere on the streaming service C More in 2022 and at a later date on MTV in Finland. REinvent Studios, specialising in the new Nordic content, has the global distribution rights. 

Author: Päivi Stenroos