
Release Date
Original Release
September 27, 2022
1h 27m
Viikinki (2022)
Overview
Documentary film about Tony Halme, masculinity and populism. The film follows how Tony Halme created a mythical, highly masculine freestyle wrestling character, The Viking, who gained fame both in the ring and in the public eye and eventually became captivated by it. With his brash speeches, Halme fired the starting shot for the rise of the Finns Party. The voice of a forgotten section of the population, a protest against the ruling elite, were the building blocks of Halme's popularity. Halme's great popularity has served as a good example of a populist figure, admired within the deep ranks of the nation, who comes from outside the political elite and changes the direction of politics. Also, despite - or perhaps because of - his openly racist statements, he was part of changing the political climate in Finland to a more acrimonious one.
Director
Olli Vuokko
Department: Writing
Cast

Tony Halme
Self (Archive footage)
Christer Markusas
Self
Tom Sjöberg
Self
Marianne Kiukkonen
Self
Michael Majalahti
Self
Veikko Vallin
Self
Timo Soini
Self

Paleface
Self (archive footage)

Timo Harakka
Self (archive footage)
Rosa Meriläinen
Self