The Kidnapping of a President

The Kidnapping of a President (2026)



Presidentin kyyditys

6.5 2026 87 min Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Netherlands

Director: Samuli Valkama

Cast: Pertti Sveholm, Riitta Havukainen, Jussi Vatanen, Aku Sipola, Pääru Oja

Comedy Drama History
October 1930. After a night of heavy drinking, high-ranking Finnish army officers hatch a reckless plot to kidnap the nation’s first retired president, Ståhlberg. Finland remains fractured in the wake of its civil war, with political tensions running high. But the plan unravels from the very beginning, as the bumbling thugs hired for the job find themselves forced to take along the president’s iron-willed wife, Ester Ståhlberg.

More About This Film

The Kidnapping of a President is a Finnish historical comedy-drama based on the real 1930 abduction of Finland's first president, Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg. The film follows the kidnapping as a seemingly serious political operation gradually becomes chaotic and unpredictable.

Director Samuli Valkama approaches the historical event as a deadpan black comedy, allowing the bizarre details of the real episode to provide much of the humor. The result combines political history, farce, and character-driven comedy.

  • Directed by Samuli Valkama and co-written with John Lundsten.
  • Pertti Sveholm and Riitta Havavkainen play President Ståhlberg and his wife Ester.
  • Jussi Vatanen and Aku Sipola are among the other leading actors.
  • The film was produced in Finland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Estonia.
  • It had its world premiere at the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Where to Watch

International streaming rights for Finnish independent cinema are often released gradually after festival and theatrical screenings.