The fifth full-length film by director Tiina Lymi, who started out as an actress, then branched out into writing and directing, differs from her earlier comedic works. Anni Blomqvist wrote the five-part Stormskerry novel series in mourning after her husband and son tragically drowned. The film adaptation of the series is a three-hour long epoch that deals with themes like feminism, unconditional love, and death. With its (by Finnish standards) large 4.4-million-euro budget and digital effects, Stormskerry Maja is the most successful Finnish film of the 2020’s so far, as it has already raked up over 450 thousand viewers at the time of writing.
The film is set in the Åland archipelago during the 1800s and spoken in the local dialect. Swedish actress Amanda Jansson plays the main role in this coming-of-age story. Through Rauno Ronkainen’s camera, the sea and the harsh nature give the story its beautiful setting. Åke Lindman’s theme composed for the 1976 Stormskerry TV series has made its way into the film adaptation as well. Lymi has said that among the main influences that she drew from for this film is Jane Campion’s The Piano.
Joonatan Nikkinen