Nordic shows at SeriesMania: “Our Strength Is in Our Storytelling”

Denmark’s One of Us Is Trembling (En af os ryster), produced by Isaac Production, was crowned the winner of the Short Forms Competition, impressing the jury with its take on a young couple, played by Frederikke Dahl Hansen and Alex Høgh Andersen. It was written by Michael Kunov and Selma Sunniva.

“The show is about how raw and difficult love can be when anxiety and mental health are part of the equation. We wanted to explore how intimacy and emotional dependency can become both beautiful and harmful – even when people truly love each other and want the best for one another,” said producer Christian Lønhart.

Instead of focusing on the backstories, Sunniva wanted to highlight “the dynamics and the reactions between two characters with different mentalities.”

“We saw the narrative as a petri dish. We put two very different elements together, to see how they’ll interact with each other,” she explained.

In the International Panorama, a student jury gave its prize to Norway’s Requiem for Selina (Rekviem for Selina), sold by About Premium Content. The series created and written by Emmeline Berglund is produced by ANTI for NRK.

DR Drama-produced Generations (Generationer), created by Anna Emma Haudal, surprised the audience of the International Competition with its combination of crime and supernatural elements, and characters who must answer a very uncomfortable question: Could their beloved grandmother be a murderer?

Or could a new neighbour, innocent-looking Ditte, be hiding an unsavoury past in the Danish Secret Service? The answer to this one is a resounding “yes”, with International Panorama’s The Danish Woman (Danska konan), allowing Trine Dyrholm to stretch her comedy muscles as a lady who moves to Reykjavik and terrorises – or helps – those who dare to interrupt her peace. Sold by The Party Film Sales, it was created by Benedikt Erlingsson.

A Life’s Worth, following the first Swedish UN battalion in Bosnia, was also well-received. Written by Mona Masri and Oliver Dixon, it was produced by Yellowbird (Banijay Nordic), Arte France and Viaplay Content Distribution.

“From the beginning, A Life’s Worth was about more than just depicting war: It was about the experience and moral dilemmas of young soldiers from a peaceful, neutral country who were sent to maintain order in a conflict that quickly spiralled beyond their control,” said Masri.

“Trained as peacekeepers, they found themselves in the midst of brutality, where ideals and reality collided. Our goal was to explore what it means to be a soldier in such a situation. How do you uphold peace when the world around you is falling apart?”

Masri and her collaborators “deliberately chose not to make a traditional war series”.

“Instead of focusing on the conflict, we focused on those navigating it, the impossible choices they faced, and the emotional and ethical struggles they endured. The series is inspired by real events, but also takes artistic liberties to highlight deeper existential themes: responsibility, morality, and the limits of peacekeeping in war,” she observed.

“The response in Lille, especially from younger audiences, has been incredible. Many of them weren’t even born when these events took place. That’s a testament to the power of storytelling. When done right, it resonates across generations and cultures.”

Trustnordisk brought Fighter (Fotspor) to the Special Screenings: A Norwegian documentary series, it focuses on former MMA-fighter Geir Kåre Nyland rebuilding his life after an accident.

“It’s unique, because it’s a feature doc as well as a three-part miniseries. I don’t feel it can be compared to [other] Nordic shows,” said TrustNordisk’s Managing Director Susan Wendt, underlining the story’s “human” aspect.

“It’s not another crime show or Scandi Noir. The stories go in many different directions, and the focus is on the characters’ personal development as well.”

It was Geir Kåre himself who initiated the whole process via his Instagram profile, wondering if any companies would like to follow his journey and ultimately “clicking” with A5 Film. The show was created by Sunniva Sundby and Mari Bakke Riise.

“Our main goal was to create awareness and insight. It became clear to us just how incredible his journey has been,” said Mari Bakke Riise.

“His entire identity was tied to a performing body, and when he lost that, he had to go through many different phases to find new ways to be himself. It’s about finding the will to live in the middle of a life crisis.”

According to Wendt, the biggest TV markets – such as SeriesMania Forum – “still expect classic crime stories” from the Nordics. But things are getting more diverse.

“Looking at the series selected and presented at SeriesMania, you could see that Nordic content is much more than Scandi Noir and crime. The crime stuff is still working, but it will often have some extra nuances,” she noted.

It was a sentiment echoed during the ”Coming Next from Sweden & Finland” showcase, overseen by Audiovisual Producers Finland and the Swedish Institute, in collaboration with Göteborg Film Festival’s TV Division and The Swedish Film & TV Producers Association.

While multiple upcoming shows embraced mystery and crime elements, and placed their bets on literary adaptations, there’s usually more to their story. My Brother (Jag for ner till bror, Filmlance International), based on a novel about a young woman returning to her hometown, dabbles in dark secrets, and still shows many faces of love – romantic, and that between siblings. Matters of heart, and body, also dominate Till Death Do Us Part (Tills döden skiljer oss) from Harmonica Films.

“It’s an everyday story about normal people in a normal little community, but the husband gets suspected of murder. That might not happen to us all. This mix of everyday life and thriller we don’t see too often, or ever,” deadpanned producer Per Janérus.

“There are intimate moments, but it’s less about steaminess and more about the characters being close and true to one another. This is first, and foremost, a love story.”

Horror is still a force to be reckoned with, with the last Swedish proposition at the showcase, Summer of 1985 (Sommaren 1985), teasing another John Ajvide Lindqvist adaptation. He’s already behind Let the Right One In (Låt den rette komma in) and Border (Gräns).

“This is the kind of story we need right now. We need love, but we also need some escape. It’s dark, but it’s the kind of darkness you can stand these days,” said producer Anna-Klara Carlsten.

Some light was also provided by the makers of Italian collab Back to Surriento (Torna a Surriento) – produced by Finland’s Whatevergroup, introducing a young troublemaker from Naples who inherits a cabin in Lapland – and Rabbit Films’ Aftershave, based on incredible true stories of drag queens reigning in 90s Finland.

Finally, Cannes Grand Prix winner Juho Kuosmanen, who made Compartment No. 6 (Hytti nro 6), opened up about his hugely anticipated series Yours, Margot (Sinun, Margot). It marks another adaptation of a popular novel – this time by Meri Valkama.

“TV allows you to go deeper into character study and the relationships between the characters. This story feels very much like a detective story. Who is Margot? But instead of little, boring answers, like ‘who did it?’, things just lead to more questions,” said Kuosmanen about the show that sees a woman uncover family secrets, and try to find a mysterious woman who kept writing letters to her now-deceased father.

Producer Jussi Rantamäki revealed: “We are constantly looking for stories to adapt. This one was full of tension, it was a page turner, and it had what Juho needs: a strong dramatic structure. Later, he can add emotions we already know from his previous work.”

Vanda Rapti, EVP Viaplay Select & Content Distribution, said: “Nordic storytelling has always had a strong identity, with a reputation for high-quality, character-driven drama. What we’re seeing now is a broader evolution, beyond traditional Nordic Noir, where creators are taking bold risks with genre, themes and storytelling techniques.”

According to Rapti, there’s a “growing appetite for series that feel fresh and unexpected”. Whether it’s a high-concept thriller, a deeply emotional drama, or, like A Life’s Worth, a war story that “resonates across generations”.

The biggest challenge? Maintaining visibility in an increasingly competitive global market.

“There’s more high-quality content than ever, which means Nordic shows must not only stand out creatively, but also find the right platforms and partners to reach their audience. But our strength is in our storytelling. Nordic dramas often explore universal themes with emotional depth and a strong sense of authenticity, which continues to attract audiences far beyond our region,” she said.

“There’s no doubt that Nordic Noir has been a defining force in our industry, and it continues to be in demand. But there’s also an increasing awareness that Nordic storytelling is much more than crime and thrillers. Buyers are looking for distinctive, high-quality stories, and they’re open to new directions.”

“Our region is very good at specific drama, tone, look and feel. We’ve mastered it and the world still seems to like it. But has it become a safety net that is actually blocking new things from emerging?,” wondered Lønhart, with Sunniva adding:

“It’s probably time for many of us in the North to grow some balls and do something that may end up awful but at least tries to do something more – or something different.”

For Nordic line up at SeriesMania: CLICK HERE.