Few movies are made about Finland’s role in World War II, especially when it comes to the country’s part in the Holocaust. While many are aware the nation aligned itself with Germany, as a way of bolstering its numbers against the Soviet Union, few know the Finnish government aided in the deportation of eight non-Finnish Jewish refugees.
That’s where the story of Abraham Stiller comes in, with his actions depicted in the upcoming film, Never Alone (2025).
Never Alone is based on Rony Smolar’s book, Setä Stiller: Valpon ja Gestapon välissä. It centers around Stiller, a Finnish Jewish businessman who helped Jewish refugees during the country’s alliance with Germany in World War II. At great risk to himself, he dedicated himself to preventing these refugees from being captured by the Gestapo and deported to concentration camps.
Speaking with Variety, director Klaus Härö revealed why he opted to make the film, explaining that he’d been surprised at how little he knew about Finland’s actions during the conflict.
“Personally, I grew up assuming we didn’t deport any Jews. I found out it was only half true: we didn’t deport Finnish Jews, but we deported civilians who came here as refugees,” he shared. “By the fourth ship, some said: ‘We don’t want a Jewish problem.’ Does this sound familiar? Now, when we’re in the midst of a refugee crisis?
“I kept telling myself that during the Holocaust, we stayed ‘clean.’ We didn’t,” he continued. “With [producer] Ilkka Matila, we started to wonder. Was there anyone who was trying to stop it, who was trying to help? That’s how we found Abraham Stiller.”
Finnish actor Ville Virtanen, best known for his roles in Netflix’s Bordertown (2016-20) and The Winter War (1989), portrays Stiller, with other cast members including Kari Hietalahti, Rony Herman and Naemi Latzer.
Along with directing Never Alone, Härö co-wrote the screenplay with Jimmy Karlsson. As aforementioned, Ilkka Matila of Matila Röhr Productions serves as producer, with Penned Pictures, HOBAB, Taska Film and Samsara Filmproduktion co-producing.
Filming took place throughout 2023 in Estonia, with some scenes filmed in the Finnish capital of Helsinki.
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Never Alone made its debut at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia on November 13, 2024. It’s slated to premiere in Finnish cinemas on January 17, 2025.
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