Joonas Saartamo

Acting

Joonas Saartamo

Born

1980-05-06 (46)

Place of birth

Helsinki, Finland

Known for

Acting

Credits

49 titles

Joonas Saartamo, born in Helsinki in 1980, is among the finest actors in Finland today. Joonas graduated from Helsinki Theatre Academy in 2012. He is known from the movies One-Way Ticket to Mombasa (2002), Beauty and the Bastard (2005), Silence (2011), The Mine (2016), The happiest day in the life of Olli Mäkiand (2016), which won the film award Un Certain Regard in Cannes. In televison he is known from the series; Pelkovaara (2004), Protectors (2008) and Welcome To Texas, season 1 (2017). The second series of Welcome To Texas will be screened in spring 2019. Jonaas has one of the major supporting roles in the film success and classic story The Unknown Solider, which premiered in 2017. Bas…

Known for

Nurses poster
7.9

Like good soldiers in a war-zone, hospital staff are expected to respect the chain of command when dealing with life and death situations. But what happens when smug doctors, arrogant surgeons, and out-of-touch administrators make that easier said than done? Nurses deals with the professional and personal lives of four female colleagues who cope in different ways with the challenges of life on the trauma ward. With determination, strength, and a dark sense of humor, they achieve the demanding and inspiring task of saving lives in a system that sometimes seems designed to do the opposite.

Nurses

2014

White Lines poster
6.6

Zoe Walker leaves her quiet life behind to investigate her brother's disappearance in Ibiza, where she quickly heads down a decadent and dangerous path.

White Lines

2020

Thicker Than Water poster
6.7

The beautiful island of Sunnanö in the Swedish archipelago is home to a popular B&B run by Anna-Lisa and her son Oskar. Anna-Lisa has summoned her daughter Jonna, an actress, and son Lasse, an opportunist, to the island. It is the first time in years that they are together again. When Anna-Lisa is found dead one morning, the siblings learn that she had terminal cancer: Her will stipulates that all three siblings must run the family B&B together for a year, or they won't inherit it at all. It is a mother’s last effort to reunite her children. But it will also confront them with the family’s unsolved past, present forces of attraction, and a very dark secret buried in a most unfortunate place...

Thicker Than Water

2014

Sincerely Yours in Cold Blood poster
7.2

Kylmäverisesti sinun (Sincerely Yours in Cold Blood) is a Finnish true crime drama television series. All episodes are based on real life cases. The show follows Helsinki central police department investigator Veli Miettinen and lawyer Mira Kataja as they tackle with personal life problems and try to keep their relationship purely professional.

Sincerely Yours in Cold Blood

2000

Seconds poster
5.6

A huge train accident in an idyllic small town shocks the whole of Finland, and accident investigator Marita Kaila is faced with the most difficult case of her career. Under increasing pressure, Marita and her team try to find out what led to the death of dozens of people. But there is also a tragedy in Marita's own past, which the demanding investigation brings to the fore. Will he solve the case before the pressure becomes too much?

Seconds

2024

Unknown Soldier poster
7.4

The film follows Finnish army machine gun company in Continuation War against Soviet Union, 1941–1944. Based on Väinö Linna's best selling novel Tuntematon Sotilas (The Unknown Soldier) and the novel's uncensored version, Sotaromaani (A War Novel).

Unknown Soldier

2017

Film credits

2020s · 13 titles

Attack on Finland poster
5.6

The reception for Finland's Independence Day is rudely interrupted when the presidential palace is attacked and the state leadership is taken hostage. Max Tanner of the Security Police is appointed as a negotiator in the hostage crisis, that unfolds as part of a bigger plan to undermine European security.

Attack on Finland

2021

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

GAP

2026

Vinski 2 poster
NR

The town of Hömpstad is once again under threat from criminals and Vinski's help is needed. When the criminals manage to steal the invisibility powder for themselves, Vinski has a real showdown on his hands.

Vinski 2

2026

Opponent poster
6.6

In the aftermath of a devastating rumor, Iman and his family have been forced to flee Iran. As refugees, they end up in a run-down hotel in northern Sweden. Despite feeling powerless, Iman tries to maintain his role as the family patriarch. To increase their chances of asylum, he breaks a promise to his wife and joins the local wrestling club. As the rumors start to resurface, Iman’s fear and desperation begin to take a hold.

Opponent

2023

Perfect strangers poster
5.0

A group of middle-aged friends get together for dinner. The playful banter between couples who have known each other all their lives escalates into a adult version of the childhood game of truth or dare when no one dares to refuse the challenge. For this evening, all calls, texts, WhatsApps and other messages are public. Is it true that no one has any secrets?

Perfect strangers

2025

Itty Bitty Princess poster
7.5

When the anarchistic princess of her own life, Princess Itty Bitty is told that her little brother, who still lives in her mother's womb, is about to move into her room, she's had enough. Drawing on the wisdom of her quirky neighbor, Auntie Jenssen, Itty Bitty devises a plan and conjures the bossy grown-ups to Hilldiggle with the help of her magical dog, Sausage.

Itty Bitty Princess

2024

Spy from a Distance poster
5.3

The secret past of a World War II-era intelligence officer comes to light when his grandson, actor Joonas Saartamo, begins to investigate his grandfather's activities as the leader of a long-range reconnaissance patrol. Meeting various experts along the way, Saartamo discovers a new insight into the crucial role of long-range reconnaissance patrols in war. He also realizes how strongly the weight of his grandfather's war experiences has been passed down from generation to generation, affecting him directly.

Spy from a Distance

2024

Ella and Friends – Operation Otter poster
6.3

Ella and her school class, led by their teacher, go on a hilarious summer trip, but to everyone's surprise they find themselves in the middle of a major otter rescue operation.

Ella and Friends – Operation Otter

2025

Resistant poster
6.0

Documentary film about Arndt Pekurinen and the peace movement in the early 20th century. Pekurinen spoke out for pacifism, conscientious objection and peace, and received support for his actions around the world. However, his worldview collided with the nationalist and militaristic atmosphere of the era in Finland. He was considered a troublemaker, a traitor, and a caricature of masculinity. The film is a universal and timeless account of a man persecuted for his opinions. At the same time, it is a description of the weak tolerance of young independent Finland towards dissidents. Pekurinen was executed during the Continuation War by his compatriots on November 5, 1941.

Resistant

2021

Laughing Matters poster
5.5

Recently unemployed and feeling a little bit lost, Maria takes part in stand-up class and ends up on a competition tour for novice comedians.

Laughing Matters

2020

Carrier poster
6.0

Janika takes advantage of her pregnancy by smuggling amphetamine from Tallinn to Helsinki with her brother.

Carrier

2020

Fjällnäs poster
NR

An eco-artist embarks on a trip to a symposium in remote Sweden, herself the keynote figure. Fears of her work being exposed begin to manifest and a suspicious man who's doggedly undermining her every move, provokes her self- sabotage.

Fjällnäs

2021

The Zurich Affair - Wagner's One and Only Love poster
NR

Richard Wagner is working on his new opera "Tristan and Isolde". Mathilde Wesendonck and her husband, the silk-merchant Otto Wesendonck venerate Wagner. Mathilde is turning from a loving mother into a muse of the new music.

The Zurich Affair - Wagner's One and Only Love

2021

2010s · 14 titles

Unknown Soldier poster
7.4

The film follows Finnish army machine gun company in Continuation War against Soviet Union, 1941–1944. Based on Väinö Linna's best selling novel Tuntematon Sotilas (The Unknown Soldier) and the novel's uncensored version, Sotaromaani (A War Novel).

Unknown Soldier

2017

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki poster
6.5

Summer 1962 and Olli Mäki has a shot at the world championship title in featherweight boxing. From the Finnish countryside to the bright lights of Helsinki, everything has been prepared for his fame and fortune. All Olli has to do is lose weight and concentrate. But there is a problem – he has fallen in love with Raija.

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki

2016

Bayonet poster
6.1

Miguel “Bayoneta” Galíndez is a retired boxer from Tijuana who finds himself living in a cramped flat in Finland. As his future begins to look up, a desire for redemption draws him back into the ring.

Bayonet

2018

The Mine poster
6.8

A young and ambitious civil servant Jussi finds himself being in charge of the environmental permit of a huge nickel and uranium mine in Northern Finland. The Talvivaara mine, led by a charismatic globe trotting visioner Pekka Perä is introducing an entirely new method of collecting minerals whilst creating jobs in one of the poorest areas in Scandinavia. Jussi slowly discovers that he has been led astray by several people and that the new method has serious downsides he did not forsee. The mine is causing environmental hazards that are being hushed down. A new application for another permit is brough to his table by the same mine. Along with the application comes an interesting job offer and a chance of a new beginning. Jussi has to decide whether he will play along and if so, with whom.

The Mine

2016

Gloriously Wasted poster
4.2

Juha Berg is a 30-year-old hopeless drunk in the Kallio neighborhood of Helsinki. Juha doesn't have the first intention of changing his way of life - just the opposite. He really enjoys sundry sexual relationships, adrenalin-inducing violence and, of course, alcohol for which he gets money even if by collecting bottles. But the hilarity in a drunken haze soon gets a run for its money as the passionate Juha falls in love with his AA group leader. The relationship with Tiina progresses quickly to dating and Juha has to make pivotal decisions. Juha has to begin balancing between maintaining a functional intimate relationship and his old lifestyle. Juha's best friend Kristian does his best to sabotage the relationship, and Juha's shaky decision to stay sober is further hindered by Mikael, an expert on German erotica. But how far can you go before there is only one solution left?

Gloriously Wasted

2012

Headfirst poster
5.1

Headfirst is a black comedy about a single mother with anger management problems and her teenage daughter who is always in trouble at school. With yet another school comes a new teacher and a blast from the past for the mother. Before long, an accidental pickpocket and a notoriously lousy storyteller teams up with this one dysfunctional sort of a family. Nothing is the same anymore. Headfirst is a story about missing teeth, strange friends, hidden dreams and long-gone love. And about a hare.

Headfirst

2014

Fanatics poster
5.5

A buddy comedy about a fanatic small town football supporter who falls in love with a perfect girl, only to notice that his dream-girl supports the wrong football team. Now he has to befriend the enemy or forget the girl he loves.

Fanatics

2012

No artwork available
4.5

The many problems of marriage and relationships may sometimes condense into something as trivial an affair as parking a car

Pocket Parking

2013

Jill, Joy and the Mysterious Stranger poster
6.0

A new orphanage opens near Jill and Joy's house, and a boy named Pekki runs away from there. Pekki ends up living in Jill and Joy's cabin and tells the girls how bleak life is in the orphanage under the strict command of the headmistress Minna Pinna.

Jill, Joy and the Mysterious Stranger

2017

Jill and Joy's Winter poster
5.6

Jill and Joy (both 9) live in their own house like any other little girls, except that they might be a little happier than most little girls, as they get to live in their own house specifically designed for the two. One December evening a small car, barely the size of a shoebox, pulls up in front their house, and a teensy-weensy family gets out; it's the McTiny family. The family has become homeless after a road roller smashed their home. Planning to live with the girls temporarily, the family moves in with Jill and Joy but soon finds out that not all big people have good intentions towards them. Jill and Joy's Winter is based on a beloved book by the same name, written by a Finnish writer named Marjatta Kurenniemi.

Jill and Joy's Winter

2015

Rolli and the Secret of All Time poster
5.5

Rolli and little elf girl Juniper along with the rest of the rollis and other strange creatures lead peaceful and rollishly fun lives in their flourishing Rolli Village. One day the inquisitive friends Rolli and Juniper hear incredible news from Malcolm the Maggot: somewhere far away, beyond mountains, forests and the sea, lies a place called The Beginning of All Time. That’s where the storks always take off on their trips to deliver babies in small bundles to their new homes. Rolli and Juniper cannot help but become curious. Both of them have fallen into Rolli Village in a bundle from the sky, and especially Juniper has always wondered where she came from. The two friends decide to throw themselves into a joint adventure. They embark on a trip toward The Beginning of All Time in order to find the answer to life’s greatest secret.

Rolli and the Secret of All Time

2016

Gimme Some Respect poster
6.0

Young Siiri is starting her life on her own. She wants to be independent and live a normal life, although she is mentally handicapped. She begins to make true of her dreams, where she has a real working place and she hopes to find also a husband.

Gimme Some Respect

2010

Silence poster
4.8

A drama between people under unconventional circumstances. In the Second World War Finland was the only nation who brought casualties killed-in-action back to be buried at home. These actions were carried out by men and women working in assembly centres near enemy lines. Silence is a story of a group of people in a limbo between life and death, in a mental no-man's- land, where heaven and hell, horror and joy, love and fear touch each other.

Silence

2011

The Night Thief poster
5.0

The Night Thief is a warmhearted drama set in the suburbs of Helsinki, Finland. It tells the story of a Somali man, Farah, whose car starts to disappear mysteriously at night. Although the car always shows up in the morning, Farah starts to run late from work, and fears that he could lose his job. Farah’s wife is moving to Finland from Somalia and if Farah were to get fired, his wife’s residency permit would be in danger. Due to the circumstances, Farah decides to do whatever it takes to catch the thief. In the end, things take an unexpected turn when Farah finally faces the person who has been stealing his car.

The Night Thief

2018

2000s · 6 titles

1944 The Final Defence poster
5.8

The Soviet army breaks through the Finnish defences on the Karelian Isthmus in June 1944, advancing with overwhelming force. Somehow, the Finnish troops must find the strength to fight back, with all odds against them. The Battle of Tali-Ihantala was the largest battle ever fought in the history of the Nordic countries. This film depicts the true events through five separate stories.

1944 The Final Defence

2007

One-Way Ticket to Mombasa poster
6.0

Pete loses his consciousness while playing in a pop band. The diagnosis is harsh and the doctor cannot say for sure whether Pete will celebrate his 18th birthday. One night, encouraged by the vodka on Jusa's 18th birthday, Pete confesses his love to Kata, his dream girl. Together with Jusa, they go to Lapland where Kata has her summer job. In Jusa's wild company, Pete experiences something which he never felt before as they decide to take a trip to Mombasa via Lapland.

One-Way Ticket to Mombasa

2002

Beauty and the Bastard poster
6.2

Even though Nelli's parents have the perfect career and man planned for her, she dreams of becoming a singer. In a studio, she meets a young hip hop artist Sune and asks him to help her make a demo tape.

Beauty and the Bastard

2005

Ken tulta pyytää poster
8.0

Firefighter Jesse heroically rescues ten children from a devastating fire. But it soon becomes clear that Jesse is not a hero after all, and a thrilling adventure begins, the outcome of which is difficult to predict.

Ken tulta pyytää

2001

Game Over poster
4.1

A movie inspired by a true crime - the coldblooded Heino double murder, committed by a group of teenagers - that shocked Finland in 2001.

Game Over

2005

Onni von Sopanen poster
9.0

11-year-old Onni is struck with the idea that his parents aren't his biological parents.

Onni von Sopanen

2006

Series credits

Nurses poster
7.9

Like good soldiers in a war-zone, hospital staff are expected to respect the chain of command when dealing with life and death situations. But what happens when smug doctors, arrogant surgeons, and out-of-touch administrators make that easier said than done? Nurses deals with the professional and personal lives of four female colleagues who cope in different ways with the challenges of life on the trauma ward. With determination, strength, and a dark sense of humor, they achieve the demanding and inspiring task of saving lives in a system that sometimes seems designed to do the opposite.

Nurses

2014

White Lines poster
6.6

Zoe Walker leaves her quiet life behind to investigate her brother's disappearance in Ibiza, where she quickly heads down a decadent and dangerous path.

White Lines

2020

Thicker Than Water poster
6.7

The beautiful island of Sunnanö in the Swedish archipelago is home to a popular B&B run by Anna-Lisa and her son Oskar. Anna-Lisa has summoned her daughter Jonna, an actress, and son Lasse, an opportunist, to the island. It is the first time in years that they are together again. When Anna-Lisa is found dead one morning, the siblings learn that she had terminal cancer: Her will stipulates that all three siblings must run the family B&B together for a year, or they won't inherit it at all. It is a mother’s last effort to reunite her children. But it will also confront them with the family’s unsolved past, present forces of attraction, and a very dark secret buried in a most unfortunate place...

Thicker Than Water

2014

Sincerely Yours in Cold Blood poster
7.2

Kylmäverisesti sinun (Sincerely Yours in Cold Blood) is a Finnish true crime drama television series. All episodes are based on real life cases. The show follows Helsinki central police department investigator Veli Miettinen and lawyer Mira Kataja as they tackle with personal life problems and try to keep their relationship purely professional.

Sincerely Yours in Cold Blood

2000

Seconds poster
5.6

A huge train accident in an idyllic small town shocks the whole of Finland, and accident investigator Marita Kaila is faced with the most difficult case of her career. Under increasing pressure, Marita and her team try to find out what led to the death of dozens of people. But there is also a tragedy in Marita's own past, which the demanding investigation brings to the fore. Will he solve the case before the pressure becomes too much?

Seconds

2024

Munkkivuori poster
7.6

In early 1980s a young child disappears. The lack of police support pushes the concerned parents to take justice into their own hands and launch a desperate manhunt that is seen from the perspective of the local children.

Munkkivuori

2022

Mister8 poster
9.0

There are enough love and surprises in Maria's relationships. And no wonder, because she has a different man for each day of the week. Maria meets Juho and falls in love, but unfortunately there are not eight days in a week.

Mister8

2021

Forgiven poster
7.0

Forgiven is a realistic miniseries with dense atmosphere, based on Laura Manninen's novel. 30-something strong-willed Vilma falls in love with Mikko, who is perfect in many ways: a charming, polite, sensitive and sympathetically capricious man. Gradually, Vilma, who has never dreamed of children, realizes that she and Mikko have somehow become a blended family with hustle and bustle and three children. There's a dog, apple trees and beautifully aged house. Little by little, Mikko's true personality is revealed and the seemingly perfect idyll collapses. The abnormal becomes completely normal. Love, shame, fear and need to solve the problems keep Vilma in abusive relationship until the situation escalates to the poins where it's all about surviving and staying alive. The drama series Forgiven deals with love, domestic violence, shame and the culture of silence. Forgiven is a tragic love story, but also a story of survival.

Forgiven

2023

Isolated poster
5.3

An idyllic island in the Finnish Archipelago is suddenly cut off from outside world, as a mysterious force takes over. Without food, electricity or safety, the islanders are faced with their deepest fears. What will you do to survive?

Isolated

2024

Suojelijat poster
8.0

No synopsis available yet.

Suojelijat

2008

Unknown Soldier poster
7.5

The Unknown Soldier miniseries expands the story of the 2017 film of the same name. The World War II series based on Väinö Linna's classic novel closely follows a machine gun company of the Finnish Army on the Karelian front during the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union, from mobilization in 1941 to the Moscow Armistice in 1944. It's a story about how camaraderie, humor, and a desire to survive connect men on their journey. War upends the lives of both the individual soldiers and those left on the home front, and leaves its mark on the entire nation.

Unknown Soldier

2018

The Hired Hand poster
7.5

A man in his 40s hires a handyman to help out with his daily chores. Soon, he finds himself in competition for the love of his family.

The Hired Hand

2023

Valhalla Project poster
5.0

Climate researcher Alina Railo travels to Finnish Lapland with an international expedition to seek access to a parallel universe with the hopes of finding a solution to the climate crisis - a parallel universe initially researched by her father, who disappeared in Lapland over 30 years ago.

Valhalla Project

2024

Kirjava silta poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Kirjava silta

2000

Welcome to Texas poster
7.7

A married couple leading a criminal organization specialized in smuggling ends up in the middle of the international crime business while trying to protect their family.

Welcome to Texas

2017

Taisto - muovista ja rakkaudesta poster
5.0

No synopsis available yet.

Taisto - muovista ja rakkaudesta

2019