Stormskerry Maja Ciné Concert

The hugely popular Stormskerry Maja film concert is now at the Turku Music Festival!

Stormskerry Maja, film directed by Tiina Lymi, came, saw and won. The film attracted a record 44 000 viewers on its opening weekend. In its first seven weeks, it attracted 366 000 viewers in Finland – more than Mamma Mia, Top Gun Maverick or Bohemian Rhapsody. The success of the film has also boosted the success of the Stormskerry Maja film concert. The almost three-hour film and the full Vantaa Orchestra accompanying it are now wanted everywhere. There is more demand than supply, so if the opportunity comes your way, it’s definitely worth taking it!

The Stormskerry Maja film offers the audience an interpretation of a beloved classic that is respectful of the old but fresh in its joie de vivre and frenzy. The combination of a timeless love story, the stark landscapes of the outer islands of Åland and the hopefulness in the midst of tragedy is a combination that will speak to generations.

And then there is the music.

The film’s powerful music is composed by Lauri Porra. Lasse Mårtenson’s iconic original theme tune is also included – thankfully, because it would be almost impossible to imagine Stormskerry Maja without it.

“When I saw the first cut of the film, I realised that we were doing something really cool. From a film composer’s point of view, this was a dream job“, says Porra.

Porra describes the concert as a great and also a rare experience: the majority of film concerts in Finland are made from foreign films.

“The combination of a domestic film and a symphony orchestra of more than 70 musicians is a big, unique and exciting experience. It also offers a great opportunity to stop, slow down and concentrate without the hustle and bustle of mobile phones.”

The film Stormskerry Maja is based on the book series “Myrskyluoto” by Anni Blomqvist (1909-1990), who lived in the Åland Islands. Blomqvist knew what she was writing about: she lived in the Åland archipelago and lost both her husband and two sons to the sea.

The story is set in the mid-19th century, mainly in the outer Finnish archipelago. In the film, a girl from an island village, 17-year-old Maja, is married against her will to her neighbour Janne. The couple start their life in the middle of the open sea – a barren cove where everything has to be built from scratch. Love gradually ignites and deepens, and the headstrong country girl grows through adversity into a strong and resourceful outer-coast woman.

The film, produced by Solar Films, stars Swedish actors Amanda Jansson and Linus Troedsson.