Finnish comedy “Money Shot,” about an ex-porn star venturing out of her comfort zone, is heading to Canneseries.
Sari, now in her forties, gets fired from her last role. Forced to find a new way to make a living, she teams up with Linnea – an aspiring director who struggles to get into film school. They start to make feminist erotic films and begin a journey to fulfil women’s desires. As well as their own.
Produced by Solar Republic and sold by Federation Studios and Nordisk Film, it stars Pihla Viitala as Sari and Reetta Ylä-Rautio as her new – and unlikely – partner in crime. Paula Vesala, Mikko Kouki, Jukka Puotila and Alex Anton are featured as well.
“It’s a comedy about making feminist porn. It’s sweet and daring, and it makes you laugh. I’m not just saying that – I’m making a promise,” creator Jemina Jokisalo told Variety.
“It’s super colorful. It’s definitely not another Nordic Noir!”
Or another “Logjammin.”
According to Jokisalo, “Money Shot” was an “interesting series to create, pitch and execute.”
“It’s quite bold and different, especially for a Finnish show, and I’m really happy [broadcaster] Elisa Viihde had the courage to commission it. I always pursue stories I absolutely love, with characters we can feel for. It’s also important to make sure that a series has a story engine that can provide you with enough twists and turns,” she said, also commenting on the current, post-peak TV situation.
“I’m not feeling pessimistic at all. We will always have series – people are still watching them. Maybe it’s not so bad if we make a bit less [of them] and the ones that get made are of greater quality. The economy is bouncing back, and the series will bounce back, too.”
“What I believe, from the bottom of my heart, is that we will always need shows that make us laugh. That’s not an easy thing to do, but laughter will always win audiences over, especially when times are challenging.”
Directed by Teemu Niukkanen, it’s produced by Samuli Norhomaa and Johanna Tarvainen.
Money Shot
“Honestly, I have never seen any TV series that would talk about the world of feminist-friendly porn. For me, it was a very wide and unexplored subject to dive into,” said Viitala about her “versatile” character. Before, the Finnish actor was seen in Netflix’s “Deadwind,” “Cold Courage” and Zaida Bergroth’s drama “Maria’s Paradise.”
“I’m playing a porn star that has been told that her ‘golden days’ are over. She has made her career pleasing others, not herself. Actually, mostly pleasing the male gaze. She is a good and loving mother, but she is used to being looked down on by other people everywhere she goes.”
Still, Sari refuses to be a victim.
“She decides to take control of her own life and, against all odds, finds a friend in Linnea, who is from a completely different background and half her age. Together, they are able to create something nobody expected from them: Popular porn for women, done with respect for themselves and everyone who works for them.”
Reetta Ylä-Rautio (“Like Mother, Like Daughter”) added: “One of the most important things I learnt through Linnea was that even though you are reaching for a specific goal, there are many paths to achieve it. As she gets rejected from the prestigious film school once again, she gets frustrated and jumps into working for Sari. But when she starts to direct feminist porn, she also begins to discover her own sexuality and see her relationship in a new light. It has a massive effect on her personal life.”
The “saucy and brave” series is also “vulnerable, emotional, empathic and, above all, realistic,” she stated.
“Behind all the comedy, there is just a small human [being] who is trying to find her own place in the world.”
“It has moments you could call daring, but it doesn’t mean that ‘daring’ can’t also be funny. Funny can be brave and brave can be fun,” added Viitala.
