Citizens of Heaven, a new Finnish series written by Venla Aako and Mika Ronkainen, creators of the award-winning hit All the Sins, has announced the cast.
The film is directed by Lauri Tirkanen (Dead Wind, Hildur), Daniel Virtanen (Psych, Deception, Atlantis Pasila), Krita Salminen (An Enemy of the People, Guts), Karl Kristian Grundmann (Icebreaker, Codename Anika), and Arm Mironov. (Sundance Prize winning films “Girl Picture” and “Soviet Jean”) also starred.
The series is scheduled to be announced on March 24th at the Series Mania Forum’s showcase “Coming Next from the Nordics,” and filming is expected to begin next month.
Citizens of Heaven is a mystery drama set deep within a secluded cult led by Elias, a pious and disciplined man under the watchful eye of his uncompromising father. The community is on the brink of collapse, until Elias’ estranged brother Josua returns from prison and performs a miraculous healing.
People and money begin to flow in, and the cult is revived. As investigative journalists infiltrate the cult, the noose surrounding the cult begins to tighten. As old secrets come to light, Elias must choose between exposing the truth or defending the lies that bind the entire community together.
“Cults are fertile ground for drama. In closed communities, shared beliefs and mutual consideration thrive, but so too do jealousy, competition, and suspicion,” says Jemina Jokisalo, head of drama and writer at Just Republic. Jokisalo co-produced the show with Akko and Ronkainen.
“At the heart of ‘Citizens of Heaven’ is a power struggle between two brothers. When Josua, the black sheep of the family, suddenly returns and miraculously appears, the younger Elias is consumed by jealousy. What unfolds is a mystery about faith, power and the stories people choose to believe,” she added, praising Ronkainen’s “unique visual style” and both writers’ “deep understanding of the subject matter”.
“In today’s market, a series needs a unique idea within a clear, familiar genre. It’s easier said than done, but a good idea always gets noticed. A familiar genre can help a series navigate, especially in uncertain times.”
Elisa Viihde joins us as a broadcaster.
“With this new series, we are reinforcing our ambition to create original drama developed from the outset for both local and international audiences. We are delighted to be working with Mika Ronkainen and Venla Arko again,” said Chief Content Officer. said Ani Korpela, pointing out that All the Sins not only won the Best Nordic Series Screenplay award at the Gothenburg Film Festival’s Television Drama Vision, but is also Elisa Wihde’s most widely distributed original series to date.
Executive producer Sari Lempiainen said: “This is a project we felt strongly about from the beginning, and we’re thrilled to begin production with this incredible cast and bring the story of a cult and its rival brothers to the screen. As Commissioner, Elisa Viide is drawn to unique, thought-provoking stories that reflect the tensions of modern society and provide audiences with powerful emotional experiences.”
Lempiainen said Elisa Vihde, who is also presenting Fire Monkey’s original series “Power Couples” at the forum’s co-pro pitching session, is looking for “stories that feel urgent and emotionally true, stories that stick with you and spark conversation.”
The team already collaborated with Joki Salo on the well-received “Money Shot.”
“Crime remains an important genre for us, but we are moving away from pure horror and science fiction, but we are open to a wide range of genres. The most important thing is a compelling original idea or a strong IP, a well-defined world, a unique vision and a team capable of realizing it, so that the story can resonate with national and international audiences. The possibility of co-production is also an important factor,” Lempiainen said.
