Bad Piggies, new restaurants and Finnish happiness masterclass

The trailer for Aki Kaurismäki’s upcoming film, Fallen Leaves, is out. The tragicomedy follows two lonely people who meet each other by chance at night in Helsinki and try to find their first, only and last love. The film has already been selected to compete at Cannes Film Festival and pre-sold to 13 countries or regions, writes Deadline.

Finnish power metal giants Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica have joined forces. The two bands co-headline a 24-show European tour titled Nordic Power Metal Titans. It marks the second time the bands hit the road together. The tour will kick off in Umeå, Sweden, in October, writes BraveWords. 

Aamu Film Company is known for films such as Compartment No. 6 and The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki. The company’s co-owner, producer Emilia Haukka talked with Cineuropa about her approach to new projects and expanding from films to series production. Haukka will be the Finnish representative to the Producers on the Move programme at Cannes Film Festival. 

It looks like Finns are on to something. Visit Finland’s Find Your Inner Finn campaign has become a phenomenon, with over 150,000 people from 190 countries applying to join the four-day masterclass. Even Kourtney Kardashian shared it with her 216 million Instagram followers. “We believe Finnish happiness is a skill that can be learned: Anyone can connect with nature, learn about a more balanced approach to life, and discover their inner Finn. With this masterclass, we want to give more people the keys to happiness,” Visit Finland’s Virva Katajala told AdWeek. 

Mxdwn.com has got its hands on The 69 Eyes’ latest album, Death of Darkness. “The group keeps its original power-hungry sound but employs some unexpected influences that separate it from the rest,” the website writes in its review. The album was released on 21 April. 

Love sauna and architecture? Take a look at Architectural Digest’s tour of Löyly, a stylish and modern sauna restaurant designed to blend in with nature. It’s located at the Helsinki seaside. 

One of Finland’s most renowned chefs, Hans Välimäki, has revealed plans to open two new restaurants in Helsinki in the autumn of 2023. A relaxed and lively Italian bistro serving Italian classics with a modern touch will open its doors first, followed by a British-style gastropub. Välimäki will run the restaurants with fellow chef Arto Rastas, Taketonews reports.

Finnish drama series Cargo becomes available on SBS On Demand in Australia. The show follows Eritrean cafe owner Kiki, whose life turns around and forces her to leave the country. “This powerful account of the international refugee crisis over eight gripping episodes exposes a world where greed, violence and exploitation compete with the love of a young wife and mother who will stop at nothing to protect those she loves,” SBS writes about the series.  

New action-adventure game Doomblade gets a release date. Its Helsinki-based developer, Muro Studios, confirmed to Try Hard Guides that the game will become available on PC via Steam, GOG and Epic Games Store on 31 May. According to its trailer, the game includes a powerful sentient weapon, dangerous dread lords and underground worlds.
 

Finnish band Alase has released a new album, A Matter of Time. Mxdwn.com recommends the album to all fans of progressive metal and symphonic rock. It writes: “The band’s ability to blend different musical genres while still maintaining a cohesive and dynamic sound is a testament to their creativity and musical vision.”

Bad Piggies are back. The second mobile game dedicated to the infamous characters from the popular Angry Birds franchise, Bad Piggies 2, has been soft-launched for iOS users in Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland and Norway. The game’s full launch is planned for later this year, Pocket Gamer reports.