In her news podcast, Alma Hätönen goes through her and her husband Jaakko Ohtonen’s road to Rome. On the day before departure, Ohtonen heard about the death of his dear friend.
In his podcast, Hätönen talks about his spiritual and physical journey. Atte Kajova
Host Alma Hätönen has started a new podcast Postcards from Rome. As the name suggests, Hätönen goes through his thoughts and experiences about moving to Rome in the podcast.
In the first episode of the podcast, Hätönen tells how he and his spouse, actor Jaakko Ohtonen, ended up living in Italy in the first place.
The couple moved to Rome in the fall of 2025 after Ohtonen’s work. Ohtonen got the role from Hollywood director Mel Gibson The Resurrection of the Christ – from the movie, in which he plays Jesus in the main role. Hätönen says in the podcast that earlier that year he got a feeling from the universe that he should visit Italy.
In the summer of 2025, the couple was in the car on their way to a party when Ohtonen’s phone rang. On the other end of the phone was Ohtonen’s agent, who told him that Mel Gibson wanted to meet him in Italy in connection with the film.
Gibson was impressed by Ohtonen’s work and Ohtonen was selected for the film. Hätönen had to make a decision whether to stay in Finland or move to Rome with her husband.
– This started a strange moment in my life as well. I had to make a decision whether to stay in Finland to work for Yleisradio, where I had a wonderful work community, a permanent employment contract, which in these professional times is an infinite privilege in any field, Hätönen recalls.
– But because my intuition had been so clear that I had to go to Italy and I felt that I also wanted to support Jaakko in such a significant professional journey. We made a decision very quickly that I would go along, Hätönen continues.
Hätönen and Ohtonen currently live in Rome. PDO
Hätönen and Ohtonen emptied their home in Finland. In the podcast, Hätönen recalls the couple’s last evening in Finland, which changed a lot.
– When we packed our bags the night before, we heard that evening that Jaako’s mentor actor and very, very dear, absolutely wonderful, special quality, absolutely super loved Tomi Alatalo had passed away.
– The contradiction that we are packing our bags on the way to a new life and such enormous pain, loss and collective pain, which touched all his loved ones, came like a wave at that moment. I also want to say my deepest condolences to everyone close to Tom.
Tomi Alatalo died on September 21 unexpectedly from a sudden illness.
The death of Tomi Alatalo shocked the film industry. Pasi Liesimaa/IL
Hätönen says that the first days in Rome were full of tears, giving up and sadness.
– And for quite a long time even after that. Even though on the outside it certainly looked like everything was just wonderful, beautiful and great, there was still that huge loss in the background.
Hätönen reminds in the episode that you cannot always know what a person is going through through social media.
The Postcards from Rome podcast can be listened to from Spotify.