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The concept of what it is – used to refer to the bowels or internal energy – they are often said to be the source of Finnish happiness.
And Guts, a Finnish television series about elite female skiers, makes it clear from the start that every thrill in this psychodrama is going to be a huge success.
With vomiting on the ice, demonstrations, bullying of male coaches and female competition, Guts combines the seriousness of competitive sports with beautiful buildings and beautiful snow scenes.
Hot on the heels of Heated Rivalry, Canada’s love of ice hockey, is part of a new series of shows featuring the winter sport. Finnish broadcaster Yle also has a ski drama on its autumn schedule.
Guts has been very successful Finland – where he is called the Black Swan in the snow, after Darren Aronofsky’s psychological horror film of 2010 about the fighters – and his star Roosa Söderholm last week successfully won the Canneseries festival in Cannes.
Söderholm, 31, said he couldn’t believe the reception he received at Cannes and was shocked to receive an award for his portrayal of a fast-paced world champion.
He said: “It’s difficult for Finns to receive international awards, so so far I have nothing to say. One of the joys of the international show is its recognition of Finland and its culture, which he said many viewers consider “strange”. He was also attracted by the fact that it is a story about women’s sports, which is rare.
Suvi Mansnerus, producer and commissioner of Yle Drama, said that he immediately felt that the idea, created and written by Jemina Jokisalo, could attract domestic and international audiences.
Mansnerus wants to emphasize that although Finland is a “crazy country”, this is not a series of games. International skiing, he said, “provides a framework for good drama and storytelling”. Like Hot Race, Guts is a story about people wanting to connect with meaning, he added.
“It reveals the uniqueness of the athletes and their winning spirit of competition, which we can relate to, but not understand or feel ourselves.” “The sport of skiing around the world, with its enormous physical and psychological potential, provides an excellent platform for exploring these powerful human issues.”
Söderholm himself spent two years training for the show with his fellow cast members and professional coaches. Although, like many Finnish children, he learned to ski at a young age, he did not have any technical skills so he had to learn from a young age.
Now inland skiing has become such an important part of his life that he even teaches skiing in the summer. “I like it a lot, but I’m either working out, or I’m not working out,” he said. “And you can do it with your friends.”
