Finnish filmmaker Alli Haapasalo is currently immersed in principal photography for her fourth feature-length fiction film, Tell Everyone (Kerro Kaikille). This historical drama marks a new direction for Haapasalo, as it is her first period film, while she continues to explore her signature themes of young women’s perspectives and emotional resilience in challenging circumstances.

Set in the late 1800s and based on true events, Tell Everyone centres on Amanda, a young drifter declared incurably insane and confined to the women’s ward on Seili Island. Once home to a leper hospital, the remote Finnish island later became the site of a notorious psychiatric institution, where women were often institutionalised indefinitely for reasons ranging from poverty and trauma to non-conformity. The film follows Amanda’s internal journey and her quiet resistance to her fate, while also highlighting the shared experiences of the women around her.

The lead role of Amanda is played by Marketta Tikkanen, a rising talent and second-generation actor, known for her television work. This marks her first lead performance in a feature. The cast includes several prominent Finnish thesps, among them Krista Kosonen (Dogs Don’t Wear Pants [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : J.-P. Valkeapää
fiche film]), Alma Pöysti (Fallen Leaves [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film]), Aamu Milonoff (Eden [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
interview : Ulla Heikkilä
fiche film]) and Jakob Öhrman (Raptures [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film]), along with Noora Dadu, Fanni Noroila, Tiina Weckström, Wilma Melasniemi, Terhi Suorlahti and Inke Koskinen.

Tell Everyone is based on the best-selling 2017 novel Amanda of the Night (Yön kantaja) by Katja Kallio, who also serves as the film’s screenwriter. Kallio’s novels have previously been adapted into movies, such as Lovers & Leavers by Aku Louhimies and Playing Solo [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film] by Lauri Nurkse, both of which she wrote the scripts for.

This is Haapasalo’s first feature since Girl Picture [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Alli Haapasalo
fiche film], which won the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Her earlier works include the award-winning anthology Force of Habit [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film] and the Cold War spy-thriller series Shadow Lines.

Principal photography began in June and is taking place entirely in Finland. Key locations include the historic Brinkhall Manor on Kakskerta Island and Seili Island itself, both located in the Turku Archipelago. Seili has only once before been used for a film production – Jaakko Pyhälä’s Days of Grace (1998) – owing to its sensitive history and its status as an environmentally protected area. The production team was granted access by the Turku University Foundation, which manages the island. Finnish DoP Jarmo Kiuru (100 Litres of Gold [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Teemu Nikki
fiche film]), a regular collaborator on Haapasalo’s works, is serving as cinematographer.

Tell Everyone is being produced by Teea Hyytiä, with Suvi Soitinaho as associate producer, for Helsinki-filmi Oy. The project has received support from the Finnish Film Foundation, the Finnish Impact Film Fund, the Nordisk Film & TV Fond, the West Finland Film Commission and SF Studios. Finnish national broadcaster YLE has acquired the television rights. SF Studios holds the Nordic cinema rights and will handle distribution. The film is expected to premiere in Finland in autumn 2026.