Alma Pöysti Leads Jon Blåhed’s ‘The Bottom Line’ at Finnish Film Affair

Actors Alma Pöysti, William Spetz, and Pekka Strang have been attached to Jon Blåhed’s upcoming romantic comedy “The Bottom Line,” with Pöysti portraying the lead character, Iris. The project is scheduled for presentation at the Finnish Film Affair, running from September 23 to 25 as the industry segment of the Helsinki International Film Festival.

Pöysti recently garnered international attention for her role in Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” which won the Cannes Jury Prize and earned her nominations for both a Golden Globe and a European Film Award.

“The Bottom Line” follows 45-year-old Iris, a musician who performs on the ferry route between Vaasa, Finland, and Umeå, Sweden. She finds herself at a crossroads when a younger music producer views her talent in a fresh light, sparking a desire for change that pulls her into a complicated web of deception.

Blåhed describes the film as a contemporary rom-com with a tragicomic tone, blending warmth, humor, and sexuality. The narrative explores themes of self-deception, longing, and the courage required to embrace one’s true self before losing what truly matters.

Set against the backdrop of the Kvarken strait, the story utilizes the four-hour ferry journey as a central emotional landscape. The vessel connects two nations and three linguistic communities—Swedish, Finland-Swedish, and Finnish—mirroring Iris’s internal conflict between different possible life paths.

For Blåhed, who grew up near the Finnish-Swedish border, the setting holds personal significance. He aims to highlight this underrepresented Nordic region while addressing universal questions about love, relationships, aging, and the pursuit of self-fulfillment.

Music serves as a crucial element of the film, with original songs composed by Markus Krunegård. Pöysti will perform these tracks on screen, reflecting her character’s emotional arc.

The screenplay is co-written by Blåhed and Helmi Tolonen. Produced by Mia Welin through Anagram Sweden, a unit of Studio TF1, the film is a co-production with Finland’s Just Republic. Scanbox has signed on to handle distribution across the Nordics. Currently in development and financing, the project has received support from the Swedish Film Institute and the Amos Anderson Fund.