The biggest Finnish film event of autumn 2026 is already under way. Lapland War (Lapin sota) opened on 23 October 2026 and has been breaking records from the very start. Directed by Aku Louhimies, the war epic tells of a chapter in Finnish military history that has been overshadowed by the Winter War and the Continuation War: autumn 1944, when Finland had to turn against its former brothers-in-arms, the Germans.
What is Lapland War about?
According to a press release from Nordisk Film, the film is set in autumn 1944, during the conflict between Finland and Germany. The story begins on the Karelian Isthmus, where a young private, Heikki, is fighting. He is joined by Arvo, who has been released from prison. When Finland makes an armistice with the Soviet Union, it must turn its weapons against the German troops in Lapland.
A second storyline follows Saara, who works as an interpreter in Rovaniemi. She must decide whether to stay in Finland or leave for Germany with her beloved, Major Duisberg. The international sales agent Beta Cinema describes the story as one of young soldiers coming of age in the Arctic Circle, and of friendships and forbidden romances between local Finnish women and the German soldiers stationed nearby. According to the press release, the film is about people searching for meaning and forgiveness in the midst of war.
Historical background
The terms of the armistice signed in September 1944 required Finland to remove German troops from its territory. Tens of thousands of German soldiers were stationed in northern Finland at the time. Fighting began in autumn 1944, and as they withdrew, the Germans destroyed much of Lapland's infrastructure. Rovaniemi was almost completely burned. The last German troops left Finland in spring 1945.
The Lapland War is a painful and complex subject for Finns. Soldiers had to fight men who had been on the same side only moments before. Many people in Lapland also had personal ties to the Germans. The story of Saara and Major Duisberg takes the film straight into this conflict.
Cast and crew
The leads are Luukas Niskanen, who according to Beta Cinema plays Heikki Ojala, Sannah Nedergård, Peter Franzén and German actor Volker Bruch, known from the hit Netflix series Babylon Berlin. The materials from Nordisk Film do not link all the actors to their characters.
The film was directed by Aku Louhimies, and the screenplay was written by Louhimies and author Antti Tuuri. It is based on Tuuri's novel Rauta-antura. Tuuri is best known for his Ostrobothnia series, and his novel was also the basis for The Winter War (Talvisota, 1989).
The film was produced by Backmann & Hoderoff, the production company of Louhimies and Andrei Alén, and is distributed in Finland by Nordisk Film. The Finnish Defence Forces were involved in making the film. According to the press release, it was shot entirely in Finland.
A companion piece to The Unknown Soldier
Nordisk Film presents Lapland War as a companion piece to Louhimies' The Unknown Soldier (2017). The Unknown Soldier was the most-watched Finnish film of the 21st century, and its admissions have been the benchmark for every major Finnish film since.
Lapland War has now joined that league. According to Elokuvauutiset.fi, the film opened with more than 75,000 admissions, the best opening for a Finnish film since The Unknown Soldier. Nordisk Film announced that the 100,000-admission mark was passed in record time and the 200,000 mark within two weeks. By early November, admissions had already reached about 240,000.
Age rating and running time
The film is rated K16 in Finland. The running time is 2 hours 38 minutes, typical of Louhimies' large-scale war films. It contains realistically depicted wartime violence.
Analysis: why Lapland War resonates right now
The success of Lapland War says at least two things. First, Finns are still willing to go to the cinema in large numbers when a big domestic story is on offer. Second, war history may hold particular interest for audiences now, in an unstable security environment.
The story of the Lapland War is also less worn than those of the Winter and Continuation Wars. Its moral questions – changing alliances, personal loyalty and the destruction of Lapland – do not bend into a simple hero's tale. Saara's storyline also brings a woman's perspective on a war that Finnish war films have often left on the sidelines.
If you have not yet seen the film, it is showing widely in Finnish cinemas. Because of its length and scale, it is worth seeing in a cinema rather than waiting for streaming. For international audiences, the film is being sold abroad by Beta Cinema under the title Lapland War.
If you liked these, watch Lapland War
- The Unknown Soldier (2017) – Louhimies' previous war epic, to which Lapland War is a companion piece.
- The Winter War (1989) – Pekka Parikka's classic, also based on a novel by Antti Tuuri.
- Tali-Ihantala 1944 (2007) – depicts the same year on the Karelian Isthmus, where Lapland War's story begins.
- Babylon Berlin (2017–) – the series in which German actor Volker Bruch made his name.
The reception so far
As the film is already in cinemas, we can look at its reception rather than at expectations. Admissions are exceptional for a Finnish film, and its popularity continues week after week. That points to strong word of mouth. The strength of Louhimies' war films is their realistic, physical depiction of combat, and Antti Tuuri's novel provides a precise historical and human foundation. Lapland War suits viewers who appreciated The Unknown Soldier, but also those interested in a less familiar and morally more complex chapter of Finnish history.
Frequently asked questions
When was Lapland War released?
It opened in Finnish cinemas on 23 October 2026 and is still showing widely.
What is the film based on?
The film is based on Antti Tuuri's novel Rauta-antura. The screenplay was written by Tuuri and director Aku Louhimies.
How many people have seen Lapland War?
According to Elokuvauutiset.fi, the film had about 240,000 admissions by early November.
What are the running time and age rating?
The running time is 2 hours 38 minutes, and the film is rated K16 in Finland.
This text is based on information published by the film's distributors, production companies and film media. Assessments and interpretations are our own and are not based on seeing the finished film unless stated otherwise.
