Finnish Director Tiina Lymi Goes Big With Her 2024 Feminist Epic Romance Stormskerry Maja
Tiina Lymi takes a leap of faith in the Finnish Box Office Hit Stormskerry Maja, an epic feminist romance based on the well known Finnish book series by Anni Blomqvist.
A skew away from her earlier satirical comedies (like Happier Times, Grump), Stormskerry Maja is Lymi’s self-professed “act of courage” to write a big and bold epic with no restraint. Amplified by its grand score and vast natural landscapes, the film is a cinematic sight to behold.
At its core, the film is a grounded and tender exploration of love, lust, grief and life through the eyes of the spirited Maja.
In a cinematic space where many Scandinavian filmmakers approach film with humour, irony and satire, Lymi was initially worried that fellow filmmakers might find her work “unintelligent” or “childlike”, because of how uninhibited her storytelling is in Stormskerry Maja. But this big story with “big feelings” is an openhearted story from the Finnish director herself. (Watch the full interview HERE.)
“[Directing the film] took a lot of courage,” confesses Lymi, “[and] made me more courageous as well”.
“I took a lot of liberties with [the film],” she says. “Anni Blomqvist doesn’t describe Maya's feelings in the book series very thoroughly… There are not very many sentences in the books that tell how it felt when he touched her or: what about the wedding night? Was it terrible or was it lovely? Or, how was the sex like? Well, how about kissing him?” Notably, their first night together offered comic relief for both the characters and the audience when Janne breaks into laughter at Maja awkward charms.
Maja’s bigger than life personality is also birthed through Lymi’s feminist retelling of the story through simple questions – Why do you have the money and I don't? Why isn’t my signature valid? How am I less?
Lymi describes, “[Maja is a] strong female character who is not aggressively feministic but is totally feministic at the same time,” and this feminist tone also influences the way men are portrayed in the film. Maja’s husband Janne, a warmhearted humble fisherman who works to support his family, is unashamedly in love with his wife. As Maja grows and learns about the world and her place in it, Janne’s presence is a sturdy constant of unwavering support.
When asked about her hopeful outlook despite the intrusion of war on the island, Lymi laments, “We have seen hundreds of war movies full of rape and violence, so, everybody thinks that when there is a bunch of guys on an island and then a woman with children… something super terrible will happen.”
“War itself is terrible already… and,” she insists, “I’m sure that there is so much good in people that in every war, there must be situations where people help each other.”
“We are always told that people are animals to each other and terrible to each other. And there is also [that] side… that we are terrible. But also we are lovely.”
A tender streak of optimism in a world filled with dark stories, Lymi’s Stormskerry Maja is a heart achingly beautiful tale that has certainly touched many across the globe.
Watch our exclusive interview with Tiina Lymi on CinemaWorld Youtube channel, and catch Stormskerry Maja on CinemaWorld and CinemaWorld On Demand today.
For our recommendations of inspirational films to kick off your 2025, check out this blog.
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