Take seven – Finland named world’s happiest country, once again
Happiness is something Finns don't necessarily shout about, but its infrastructure is rooted in our society. Fallen Leaves (2023), directed by Aki Kaurismäki tells a delicate love story during a really difficult life situation for Holappa (Jussi Vatanen) and Ansa (Alma Pöysti). Photo by Lasse Lecklin
Finland was named in the top spot of the World Happiness Report 2024, an impressive feat for the Finnish approach to life and work.
Finland’s low-stress, high trust, high innovation lifestyle has repeatedly seen it named the happiest country in the world in recent years. Indeed, research shows that the high levels of trust and freedom in Finnish society contribute to well-being and productivity.
This ongoing recognition is unsurprising to those who have seen firsthand how mutual respect and trust informs the working methods of the local film professionals in Finland.
“The Finnish mindset of everyone working for the greater good, worked out well for us, both on our film set and also with how relaxed and enjoyable our daily lives were off the set,” said US director Riley Stearns, who came to the city of Tampere in 2020 to shoot the Hollywood film Dual.
This sentiment is echoed by cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt, who met with Finnish producers after being invited by Chinese director Ran Huang to shoot his debut feature film – What Remains – in Finland
“The main thing that first impressed me was the quality – the clarity – of their communication,” Blauvelt recalled. “It seemed like there were never any egos or ulterior motives going on – which can sometimes happen within the rather political atmosphere of making a film.”
“Finland is a country of low hierarchies, and work-life balance is highly valued,” said Johanna Jäkälä, executive director, Finland Promotion Services from Business Finland. “When people come here, they also get access to a kind of lifestyle which is pretty unique.”
The positive feedback from international film professionals is set to continue. Earlier this year, the Finnish government increased the total of its AV production incentive to 12 million euros in 2024.
Introduced in 2017, the incentive offers a rebate of up to 25 per cent of production costs for local and international productions.
Are you interested in hearing more about what's behind Finland's success in Happiness? Why is Finland the happiest country in the world for the 7th time? (businessfinland.com)
