Beta Film has dropped the trailer for “Estonia,” a Scandinavian limited series about Europe’s deadliest civil maritime disaster.
The eight-part cinematic show, which is represented in international markets by Jan Mojto’s Beta Film (“Babylon Berlin”), charts the sinking of the Ms Estonia on Sept. 28, 1994, which killed over 850 people.
The series is directed by Swedish director Måns Månsson and Finnish director Juuso Syrjä. While the sinking of the ship is an important part of the show, “Estonia” also spotlights the tentacular probe launched in the aftermath of the tragedy by the Joint Accident Investigation Committee established by Sweden, Estonia and Finland.
Showrunner Miikko Oikkonen (“Bordertown,” “Helsinki Syndrome”), who co-wrote the series with Olli Suitiala and Tuomas Hakola, said that when he “started to read the final report and went through the material, (he) realized the investigation itself was even more interesting than the accident.”
“It was a power play, a political game between these countries and it involved many conflicts of interests. The investigation was an equally horrible experience, and it was metaphorically also sinking. These two storylines are mirroring each other. When they started the investigation, they said that it is going to take two weeks, then maximum two months.”
Oikkonen hopes the show “might help us see the many sides of the catastrophe and better understand our need to search for different kinds of answers.”
Månsson, meanwhile, said he found the “scripts about the investigation and the reasons behind the accident truly intriguing and captivating.” “It’s a pleasure to collaborate with a Finnish, Estonian, and Swedish team on a tragedy that is still affecting our countries profoundly,” Månsson continued.
Variety visited the set of the series in Belgium, at an indoor water stage, last year. The cast is driven by Pelle Heikkilä, one of Finland’s biggest stars, as well as Doris Tislar, Katia Winter, Jussi Nikkilä, Peter Andersson and Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey.
The series was produced by Matti Halonen (“Bordertown”) and Johannes Lassila (“Bordertown”) at Fisher King, the BETA-owned company behind “Nymphs” and “Bordertown.”
Here is the exclusive trailer: