Lesley Riddoch launches crowdfunder for Finland documentary

The National

23-06-2025

The film has already secured funding of £5000, with Riddoch hoping to raise the final £8000 to make the project a reality.
Finland has been ranked the world's happiest country for eight years in a row, with Riddoch and young Scots filmmaker Gavin Hanigan, who is based in Helsinki, hoping to look at the parallels the country has with Scotland.
Riddoch has previously made documentaries about Norway, Faroes, Iceland, Estonia and Denmark.
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The Denmark documentary now has 1.7 million views online.
The documentary would be made available on YouTube.
Within just a few days of being live, the crowdfunder has raised just over £750.
In the crowdfunder, Riddoch explains: 'Do we know enough about the world's most successful societies? I don't think so.
'The Nordics are the happiest, most sustainable, most equal, democratic, literate societies on earth, yet remain remarkable mostly for their high beer prices. What a travesty.
(Image: Lesley Riddoch) 'So, I've spent more than a decade running the policy group Nordic Horizons, writing book and paper articles, making podcasts and films to let countries in the doldrums (like the UK) see how we might get onto a Nordic path.'
She adds that there are 'huge parallels' between Scotland and Finland.
'Finland quietly excels in education - something Scotland was once renowned for,' Riddoch wrote.
'The Finns like the Scots sometimes lack confidence, but their way of life is more equal, digital, cooperative, equal and relaxed than almost anywhere else on earth. Scotland rightly prides itself on having the lowest levels of child poverty in the UK at 22 per cent – the figure in Finland is 3.7 per cent.'
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Riddoch adds: 'So in the dog-eat-dog, adversarial days of Donald Trump, I'd guess the world might want to know more about the happy, equal, educated and slightly awkward Finns.
'This documentary is already part funded. If we can raise another £8000 we can make it happen, start filming in September 2025, show the film around Scotland and put it online for everyone by Christmas with gigs around Scotland if Yes groups fancy.'
Riddoch told The National: 'The current situation with Russia highlights Finland's enduring problem of having to coexist with an occasionally belligerent, acquisitive former colonial power as the nearest neighbour.
'Anyone who has read the history of Finnish resistance during World War II will realise that a country with half its population volunteering to join an army that became the only one to ever repel the Red Army, will be no pushover.
'Today Finns like Gavin live with bunkers in the cellars of their houses and grab bags ready at the instruction of their government in case of attack.
'And yet their lives are relaxed, orderly, and chilled.'
Those who choose to donate to the crowdfunder can get an early access film preview link and other benefits.
You can contribute to the crowdfunder for the documentary here.