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Veikkaus named main partner of Finnish war film Lapland War

Finland's state-owned gambling operator will back the historical drama premiering in October, extending a partnership model it built around 2017's The Unknown Soldier.

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Veikkaus, Finland's state-owned gambling operator, is the main partner of Lapland War
The screenplay draws loosely on Antti Tuuri's novel Rauta-antura and has been described as a companion work to the 2017 film The Unknown Soldier, which Veikkaus also backed

Veikkaus, Finland's state-owned gambling operator, has become the main partner of Lapland War, a feature film produced by Backmann & Hoderoff, the production company run by director Aku Louhimies and producer Andrei Alén.

The screenplay, written by Louhimies and author Antti Tuuri, is loosely based on Tuuri's novel Rauta-antura and has been described as a sister work to The Unknown Soldier, the 2017 war film Veikkaus previously supported.

Reija Airas, Veikkaus EVP, People, Culture and Communications, said: "This partnership is a continuation of the excellent collaboration that began with The Unknown Soldier. Veikkaus wants to play its part in making this major work of Finnish culture possible."

Producer Andrei Alén said: "We are bringing to cinemas a new story that, in style and execution, follows the phenomenon started by The Unknown Soldier. We are grateful to all our supporters, together we are creating thought-provoking, ambitious art for a broad audience."

The film centers on the Lapland War, the conflict Finland fought against Germany in autumn 1944 after being caught between opposing powers in the final phase of the Second World War.

Director Aku Louhimies said: "The Lapland War is a war that remains unfamiliar to many. Not everyone made it home. Once again, we are making a realistic, high-quality war film with a happy ending. The central message of the film is forgiveness."

Tuuri said the screenplay expands on the book's perspectives and gives more space to women's experiences of the conflict. Producer Mikko Kodisoja of Fireframe Studios said filming and post-production were carried out in Finland, using Finnish technological expertise in the production process.

Good to know

Veikkaus had nearly 2.7 million registered customers at the end of 2025, after adding around 70,000 during the year

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