Estonian writer-director Martti Helde who made his mark on the global festival stage with his multi-awarded debut “In the Crosswind” and sophomore “Scandinavian Silence” (a Europa Cinema Label winner at Karlovy Vary 2019) is prepping perhaps his most ambitious project to date: the historical drama “Silverwhite” (“Hõbevalg”).
The project, which marks Helde’s third collaboration with producer Elina Litvinova of Tallinn-based Three Brothers, will be pitched at New Nordic Films’ Nordic Co-Production Market in Haugesund, Aug. 20.
Famed for his experimental style combining formalist approaches with traditional narrative, Helde’s new feature will again dwell with the notion of time, although it will be “broader” than his earlier works, he said.
Loosely based on the book “Hõbevalge” from the legendary Estonian writer-director and Baltic nation’s former President Lennart Meri, the story goes back approximately 7,500 years ago. At the time, traces of the Kaalo meteorite that struck the Estonian island of Saarema, left a profound mark on the peoples living along the Baltic Sea, shaping local myths and legends, according to the synopsis. Through four non-linear but interconnected Finno-Ugric storylines, the film will explore the universal themes of identity and resilience.
“I am fascinated by the thousands of years of history shared by the peoples living along the shores of the Baltic Sea,” Helde told Variety. “In this region, we often tend to define ourselves as culturally young, yet I believe our collective memory reaches much further back, into times that are not always fully acknowledged, but that continue to shape who we are.”
Although epic in scale, “Silverwhite” will be “a personal and intimate reflection on a worldview shaped by the Baltic Sea and its surrounding cultures,” insisted Helde, who drew his inspiration from conversations he had with Mart Meri, son of Lennart Meri.
Martti Helde
Credit: Renee Altrov
According to Litvinova who cites Justin Dallas Kurzel’s “Macbeth” and László Nemes’s “Son of Saul” as references, the pic will be character-driven, with costumes, and even camera movements set to form an integral part of the narration.
So far co-production partners confirmed include Latvia’s Air Productions, credited for Latvia’s Oscar candidate “To Be Continued” by Ivars Seleckis,” and Finland’s Inland Film Company who partnered with Three Brothers on the Swedish drama “The Swedish Torpedo” from Momento Films.
Budgeted just under €2 million ($2.3 million), the lofty project has received support from the Estonian Film Institute, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the E.U. Creative Europe MEDIA mini-slate, the regional Viru Film Fund and national broadcaster ERR. Filming is due to start in September, with a delivery set for 2027.
A former Producer on the Move in Cannes, Litvinova said she hopes to sign with a fourth co-production partner and will be looking for sales and distribution in Haugesund. In the meantime, she is collaborating with other European partners on the Polish pic “Black Water” produced by Lava Films (“The Girl with The Needle”) and overseeing Maris Salumets’ debut doc “War on Women,” backed by Arte and Eurimages.
“Silverwhite” is one of six Baltic projects taking part in the Baltic Focus at Haugesund’s New Nordic Films, unspooling Aug 19-22 parallel to the Norwegian International Film Festival.
