"They Own the Dark": Paul Guilfoyle on the Quiet Magic of Filming in Finland

The film was shot entirely in the Tampere region, marking another collaboration between LA-based XYZ Films and their Finnish production partners. For Paul Guilfoyle, best known for his long run on CSI, the shoot turned into an unexpected journey of discovering his inner Finn.

"I drank the Kool-Aid," Guilfoyle laughs. While international productions often highlight Finland’s landscapes and production incentives, Guilfoyle was drawn to something less tangible. He praises the respectful and dignified way Finnish people treat one another. He notes a quiet humanity on set, where people remain calm and present even in stressful situations. Finnish crews are driven and efficient, ensuring that productions run smoothly and schedules hold without unnecessary drama.

For the filmmakers, this quiet efficiency and lack of ego offered a stark contrast to the current turbulent transformation of the North American movie business.

Producer Aram Tertzakian notes that Finland provided the exact opposite of the industry's typical anxieties.

"We feel at home here," Tertzakian says of XYZ Films' growing relationship with the country. "We feel artistic. We're able to focus on what matters, which is filmmaking. Finland is a safe space for independent cinema."

According to Guilfoyle, that intimacy became one of the biggest strengths of filming in Finland. “There was privacy. Space. Nobody was distracted by outside noise or career pressure. We could just focus on making the film.”

Interestingly, Guilfoyle's deep connection to the local culture naturally bled into his performance. While watching the footage, Tertzakian noticed that Guilfoyle's character perfectly mirrors a certain Finnish temperament.

"Some people say Finnish people are aloof or unwelcoming, but it's actually the exact opposite. It's just an outer shell of resilience," Tertzakian explains. "Once you crack through, they show up for you in a real way and they’re always there when you need them."

That description fits Guilfoyle's character. Initially standoffish and grumpy, he ultimately reveals a deep capacity for love and reliability when it truly counts. For Tertzakian, this arc is profoundly thematic: "That's exactly my experience with the country."

For Guilfoyle, understanding this unique blend of grit and soul came naturally, as his own appreciation for Finnish culture spans a wide spectrum, from ice hockey to fine art. As a former hockey player himself, he easily connected with the country's passionate sports culture, attending an NHL game in Tampere and bonding with locals over the tough, determined Finnish style of play. Yet, he found that same resilient spirit beautifully reflected in the essential art of Finnish painter Pekka Halonen, whose retrospective he recently visited in Paris.

Somewhere between quiet forest roads, lakeside cabins and evening walks to the sauna through the darkness, Finland became more than just a filming location for Paul Guilfoyle. 
“There’s a natural mystic blowing in the air,” Guilfoyle says, borrowing the phrase from Bob Marley. “It’s hard to explain, but you feel it immediately. You step into the woods and suddenly everything goes quiet. Every rock is covered in lichen. It feels almost unreal, like you walked into another world.”

For Guilfoyle, the experience of filming in Finland was deeply connected to the atmosphere of the country itself. Not only visually, but emotionally. “Finnish people aren’t fearful of the dark. The dark is part of their world. They don’t feel the need to light everything up or fill every silence with noise. There’s something very peaceful about that.”

So, how do you market that kind of magic to the international film industry? According to Guilfoyle, you don't. You can't teach someone to feel it; you just have to give them the space to experience it. His final advice for Finland echoes a classic line from cinema history: "If you build it, they will come." The magic is already there, now the world just needs to step into the woods to find it.