Suomi-Filmi - Early Years

Early Years

The company was originally founded as Suomen Filmikuvaamo on December 20, 1919 by Erkki Karu, but took its present name soon after, in 1921. Suomi-Filmi had a rocky start and took until May 1920 to complete its first short film, Vapaussodan päättymisen muistopäivä. Later on in the same year, the company released their first feature length production, Ollin Oppivuodet, an adaptation of an Anni Swan novel directed by Teuvo Puro.

During his stay with the company, Karu worked not only as the CEO, but also as the head director of the company. While most of the other directors the company hired during the 1920s only worked on a few films and didn't enjoy significant success, Karu could create well-received films such as Koskenlaskijan morsian (1923) and the Aleksis Kivi adaptation Nummisuutarit (1923). By the end of the silent film era, Suomi-Filmi was unquestionably the largest film production company in Finland, achieving almost a monopoly status.

In the early 1930s Suomi-Filmi ran into financial difficulties stemming from the global depression started by the Wall Street Crash of 1929. While the 1920s had been largely successful for the company, yearly attendance figures dwindled countrywide, falling from over 12 million in 1928 to just over 6 million five years later. In 1933, after a falling out with the rest of the company's shareholders due to perceived financial irresponsibilities, Karu had to resign and was replaced as the CEO by Aarne Wuorenheimo. Only months later, however, Karu had founded another film company, Suomen Filmiteollisuus, which throughout much of its existence competed head-to-head as one of the two leading film companies in Finland along with Suomi-Filmi, although Karu himself died in 1935.