Teemu Nikki’s next venture: Memory Lane

A new chapter in filmmaking

Teemu Nikki, the acclaimed director behind “Euthanizer,” is set to embark on a new journey with his first English-language film, “Memory Lane.” This intriguing project revolves around a thirtysomething actress who lands a job at a company that specializes in replacing bad memories with good ones. However, the nature of her work requires utmost secrecy, even as the business thrives.

The concept behind Memory Lane

In “Memory Lane,” the process of replacing memories involves shooting scenes in a studio, akin to a TV show, with real-life actors reenacting the events. The actress is not supposed to meet the clients, but an unexpected blind date changes everything. Nikki reveals a quirky twist: “Unaware, he tells her: ‘I am sure it will work out. You look exactly like my mother.’”

Producer Jani Pösö of It’s Alive Films humorously recalls the project’s early days: “At one point, it was called ‘The Way Too Expensive Teemu Nikki Feature.’” The working title, “Memory Lane,” hints at the film’s nostalgic undertones.

A collaborative effort

Italy’s I Wonder Pictures, a regular collaborator with It’s Alive Films, is also on board for this project. Pösö emphasizes the strong partnership: “It’s a long-term, stable relationship. It will be our third film together, and we are developing a fourth. Italy is now our second home market. We share a similar mentality and there are parallels between Northern Italy and Finland. We tend to agree on what’s funny and what’s not.”

Setting the scene in the 1980s

The film is set in a big European city during the 1980s, a decade that holds a special place in Nikki’s heart. “I like the fact that we have all different ideas about how the 1980s really looked like, and so many of them come from films. We are going to use a lot of music from that time, so it will be nostalgic,” Nikki shares, gearing up for his biggest production yet.

Pösö acknowledges the challenges ahead: “It will be a challenge, but we always test new ways of making films. Otherwise, you would be stuck in the same concept, get bored, and start selling fish at a market.”

Upcoming projects and premieres

The team behind “Memory Lane” is also working on other exciting projects. Nikki’s feature “Defense Forces,” set in the Finnish military, and Naima Mohamud’s “Halima” are in development. Additionally, their latest comedy, “100 Litres of Gold,” will premiere at the Rome Film Festival and Estonia’s POFF. The film was also selected for Toronto’s Industry Selects section in September.

The story of 100 Litres of Gold

“100 Litres of Gold” centers around traditional homebrewed Finnish beer, sahti. Two sisters, Taina and Pirkko, are renowned for their sahti. When their third sister gets married, she requests 100 liters of their famous beverage. The sisters succeed, but after indulging in their creation, they wake up with a massive hangover and only 24 hours to replace the beer.

Nikki describes the film as a blend of humor and darkness: “Is it broader than our previous films? Sometimes, but not always. It’s still darker than your usual Finnish comedies.” Pösö adds, “It’s funny as hell, but the core subject is actually pretty dark.”

A return to roots

Set in Sysmä, Finland, the film allowed Nikki to reconnect with his non-Helsinki roots. “I am from there. I haven’t lived in Sysmä for 30 years, but I always tell wild stories about this place,” he says. Initially envisioning male leads, Nikki found his main characters in actresses Elina Knihtila and Pirjo Lonka after watching a play. “You don’t mess with these ladies. They demand respect and are tough, although they carry this darkness with them. They’re always cool – even though they look like they have one hell of a hangover throughout the whole film,” he laughs.

A western twist

To Nikki’s surprise, the story began to resemble a western. “It’s a western about sahti, our version of gold that everybody’s after. Because we have been making it with I Wonder, we ended up working with composer Marco Biscarini, who was a student of Ennio Morricone. It was a perfect way to take this Finnish country comedy to the next level.”

The sisters take their product seriously, and sahti will make a cameo at international premieres. “We will introduce this drink to the entire world. They are making it at the embassies right now,” says Pösö. “Not yet! But we will send them frozen bags of sahti. We are not putting any yeast in it yet – we will fly it to Rome and then make it in the embassy of Finland. I was late today because I was buying a suitcase for our sahti. We have 20 liters of it now. Then we will do the same thing in Tallinn.”

Get ready for the sahti party.

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