Erik Andersson, representative of Momento Film, which has joined the project as the film's Swedish producer, said the Swedish Film Institute's decision was largely based on the high quality of director Martti Helde's previous work and his ability to tell timeless, cross-border stories, in addition to the excellent screenplay.

"The Swedish Film Institute saw great potential in 'Silver White' and highlighted the unique cinematic language used to tell the story of the Baltic Sea peoples. This is a project with cultural depth and international resonance," said Andersson.

The filmmakers plan to strengthen the project by involving of actors, a composer and several other leading figures in the field from Sweden.

"It is an extraordinary opportunity to involve top Swedish actors in the project, as this adds an international dimension to the story, which is inherent in the nature of 'Silver White'. Support from the Swedish Film Institute is rare for Estonian films, which makes this recognition all the more valuable," added the film's director, Martti Helde.

The film's story is built on four non-linear but essentially intertwined narratives based on the multi-layered oral tradition of the Finno-Ugric cultural space. Helde's adaptation focuses on four Finno-Ugric families, revealing their personal journeys, along with their search for love and God. In the work, Helde highlights the themes of identity and resilience in the work.

"Hõbevalge" (2Silverwhite") is inspired by Lennart Meri's 1976 work, which will celebrate its anniversary in 2026. The anniversary year will also be marked in September 2026 with the opening of the Hõbevalge exhibition at the Seaplane Harbor in Tallinn.

The main shooting period for the film will begin in summer 2026, and the finished work will be released to the public in the first half of 2027. The Estonian producer of the film is Three Brothers, with Elina Litvinova as executive producer.

"Silverwhite," by Lennart Meri, Estonia's first president following the regaining of independence, was originally published in 1976. The English-language translation by Adam Cullen was published by London-based Hurst Publishers in May 2025.

Meri's epic work can also be read as a thriller: millennia ago, an enormous cosmic rock crashed into the Estonian island of Saaremaa. Through this extraordinary historical event, Meri brings together a curious cast including ancient Greeks, Arabs and Estonians. All genuinely existed and met, even if their names have been lost to oblivion.

Meri wrote "Silverwhite" at a time when Estonia was occupied and forced into the restrictions of Soviet Russian colonialism. His work was a balm against that closed-minded and unnatural state, offering the unmistakable message that the world has never been divided into isolated islands of civilization. Nations, eternally interconnected, have always shared knowledge and impacted one another in complex ways.

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