Estonian epic film shoots in North Karelia with Finnish stars

Filming is underway in North Karelia for Silverwhite, an Estonian historical drama based loosely on Lennart Meri’s novel Hõbevalge (Hopeanvalkea in Finnish), reports Yle.

The film weaves four stories, one of which is being shot in Nurmes’ Valtimo and Lieksa’s Koli. The North Karelia scenes, set in the early 20th century, feature actors Joonas Saartamo, Tommi Korpela, and Leena Pöysti. All dialogue in this segment is in the old Karelian language, with support from the Karelian Research Institute at the University of Eastern Finland.

Producer Klaus Heydemann said the North Karelia shoot—taking place at Murtovaara Homestead Museum in Valtimo and Mustaniitty in Koli—is the only part of the film being made in Finland. The crew of about 60 began work on Tuesday and will finish on Sunday.

Silverwhite, with a budget exceeding €2 million, is scheduled for release in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Sweden in autumn 2027.