The Kidnapping of a President

Plot

In October 1930, a group of officers belonging to the Finnish army's top leadership decided, after a night of drinking, to kidnap Finland's retired first president, Ståhlberg. The Finnish people were divided in the aftermath of the civil war, and the political atmosphere was turbulent and tense. However, the kidnapping went wrong right from the start when the incompetent henchmen recruited for the job were forced to take the president's stubborn wife, Ester Ståhlberg, with them.

About The Kidnapping of a President

The Kidnapping of a President (Finnish: Presidentin kyyditys) is a 2026 Finnish comedy-drama film directed by Samuli Valkama. The film is about the 1930 kidnapping of Finnish president Ståhlberg. In the film, K. J. Ståhlberg and his wife Ester are played by Pertti Sveholm and Riitta Havukainen. According to the Finnish Film Foundation, the film's budget is approximately €2.5 million; according to the Estonian Film Institute, over €2.7 million. The Finnish Film Foundation's support amounts to €850,000, while the Estonian Film Institute provided approximately €90,000. In addition, production support granted by the Nordic Film & TV Fund totals 1.4 million Norwegian kroner, approximately €118,000. Though the film takes place in Finland, it was filmed in the Czech Republic. For example, scenes taking place in Helsinki were filmed in Terezín. This was due to the Czech production incentive scheme, which supported the film's production with 9,567,839 Czech koruna, approximately €388,000. The Kidnapping of a President premiered at the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam. It had its theatrical première in Finland on 4 September 2026.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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