The Paradise

Produced by MRP Matila Röhr Productions

The crime drama The Paradise is an 8-episode series about a crime investigator Hilkka Mäntymäki (Riitta Havukainen), who works in Oulu, Finland, and who travels to Fuengirola, Spain, to investigate the case of a missing Finnish family. Her husband Aarne (Risto Tuorila), who suffers from a memory disorder, and her grown-up daughter Anni (Armi Toivanen) and her family stay in Finland.

On the Costa del Sol in Spain, Hilkka gets to know the local Finnish community, and little by little, she unravels a skilfully executed series of homicides that targets Finnish people. As the story goes on, the traces lead from the south back to the north, to the personal history of the victims and to the glory days of their home towns. In order to solve the murders, Hilkka must bring to life some ghosts from the past that no one would like to face anymore.

Under the Spanish sun, the 60-year-old Hilkka’s personal life gets rejuvenated after a long period of hibernation. Working with her Spanish colleagues who are a part of the crime investigation, Andrés Villanueva (Fran Perea) and Luisa Salinas (María Romero), makes her remember why she joined the police force in the first place. However, she feels an increasing pressure from back home as Aarne’s illness is proceeding, and finally Hilkka is forced to make some painful decisions regarding her personal life as well.

The over 40-year-old Andrés Villanueva is an experienced detective who has gone through a lot. His dreams about having a family and a new, tranquil life as a law enforcement officer in a small town crumbled as his Finnish fiancée (Elina Ylisuvanto) died tragically. As the investigation advances, Hilkka finds common ground with Andrés, who has been in the doldrums, and their surprising friendships leads them closer and closer to each other during their shared journey.

The TV series The Paradise is located on the Costa del Sol in Spain and in Oulu, Finland. It is built around strong contrasts – south/north, light/shadow – which can be seen in both the storyline and the visual look of the series. Paradise’s themes include memories, dreams, and the fundamental human desire to strive towards a better life, and the biggest of them all: love.

This character-driven drama is carried forward by the complex crime plot that ticks like a thriller, and as the series goes on, it irreversibly changes the lives of everyone who is involved.

Finally it becomes painfully obvious that in Paradise, nothing is black and white.