At Kalle Freese’s high school graduation, two types of espresso were served: Brazilian and El Salvadorian. Soon after, the ambitious coffee-lover becomes an accomplished barista who not only wins the national Finnish barista championship twice but also places top 10 worldwide. But these titles are not enough for Freese who has his sights set on more far reaching goals. If he wants to become “the Elon Musk of coffee”, then he must leave for Silicon Valley to pitch his vision for a high-end instant coffee.
He informs his girlfriend, Erika Haavisto, of his plans to move to San Francisco to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams. Having just finished her degree in Sweden, she thinks his journey has the makings of a great story and starts filming.
Freese’s startup Sudden Coffee seeks to manufacture instant coffee that is sold in small test tube like vessels. The crux of his idea is to create delicious instant coffee with a robust flavor that appeals to the millennial market. His further goal with Sudden Coffee is to globally revolutionize the coffee industry. Angel investors are drawn into the buzz, but the funding round is just a prelude to the difficulties to come. The film captures the byzantine startup-industrial complex in full; from the founding of the company to raising millions of dollars to the continually intense struggles of balancing a work and home life.
Haavisto’s intimate documentary portrays ambition, extreme competition, and the toll they take on a person and their loved ones.
