TALLINN: Estonian actor Priit Võigemast and Georgian actress Tinatin Dalakishvili play the leads in acclaimed Estonian director Veiko Õunpuu’s new film Serafima, a story of moral choices and survival under authoritarianism in Soviet Estonia.
Based on award winning writer Vahur Afanasjev’s novel Serafima and Bogdan, the Estonian/Latvian/Polish coproduction is set to premiere in 2027.
The film explores humanity amid violence. Serafima must decide whether to stay true to her heart or adapt to an alien power and repression in order to survive. Although the story takes place in Estonia in the 1960s, similar events, unfortunately, continue to occur in the modern world. Systems create victims whose suffering shapes the destinies of communities, and even entire nations, according to a press release.
The cast includes beloved Estonian actors Elmo Nüganen, Rain Simmul, Peeter Volkonski, Taavi Teplenkov, Katariina Tamm, Katariina Unt, Julia Aug and Liina Tennosaar, as well as Polish actor Bartosz Bielenia.
Andreas Kask and Esko Rips of Estonia’s Nafta Films are producing in coproduction with Gunda Bergmane of Nafta Films Latvia, Alicja Gancarz of Orka Films (Poland), and Tanel Tatter and Veiko Esken of Apollo Film Productions (Estonia).
The Estonian Film Institute, the Estonian Cultural Endowment, Creative Europe MEDIA, the Estonian Public Broadcasting, Apollo Film Productions, the Polish Film Institute, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, the Riga Film Fund, and Postimees are backing the project.
The total budget is 2.2 m EUR.
The film was shot in 33 days in Latvia by Estonian cinematographer Mart Taniel.
Hea Film will handle the distribution.
Production Information:
Producer:
Nafta Films (Estonia)
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Coproducers:
Nafta Films Latvia (Latvia)
Orka Films (Poland)
Apollo Film Productions (Estonia)
Credits:
Director: Veiko Õunpuu
Scriptwriters: Veiko Õunpuu, Martin Algus
DoP: Mart Taniel
Cast: Priit Võigemast, Tinatin Dalakishvili, Elmo Nüganen, Rain Simmul, Peeter Volkonski, Taavi Teplenkov, Katariina Tamm, Katariina Unt, Julia Aug, Liina Tennosaar, Bartosz Bielenia
Click HERE for a press release.
