NEWS Melchior the Apothecary

Melchior

the Apothecary

This trilogy of feature films in production is based on the series of crime novels Melchior the Apothecary by writer Indrek Hargla. The film series, with a budget 6,000,000 EUR, is a coproduction between Estonia, Latvia and Germany.

Firstly, there will be three full length feature films, and also a 6 episode TV series made. The producers of the film are also preparing a multi-level marketing campaign and an entire “promotional eco-system” in order to establish and strengthen the new franchise. The director of the medieval crime trilogy is Elmo Nüganen; screenplay by Indrek Hargla, Elmo Nüganen and Olle Mirme. Producers of the film are Kristian Taska (Taska Film), Esko Rips (Nafta Films), Armin Karu (HansaFilm), Tanel Tatter and Veiko Esken (Apollo Film Productions). Latvian co-producer is Jānis Kalējs (Film Angels Productions), German co-producer is Philipp Kreuzer (Maze Productions).

The main protagonist of the film, Melchior Wakenstede, is a clever and curious apothecary who, in addition to healing the sick, solves murders that shake the town. In a medieval world where people look for signs of God or the Devil in everything, Melchior’s detective work appears to be truly magical – it’s even believed that he can speak with the dead. Melchior’s actual “secret weapon” is his knack for noticing traitorous details and his ability to understand the darkest desires of the human soul.

Melchior the Apothecary trilogy takes the viewers to the medieval Tallinn, full of magic and crime.

The apothecary has a unique position in the strict hierarchy of medieval society. Everyone is in need of his knowledge and help, from the rich counsellor to the almshouse beggar. During the murder investigations this helps Melchior to open the locked doors and the mouths whispering secrets that would otherwise remain shut forever.

According to the producer Esko Rips, the principal shooting that took place in summer and autumn 2020 went exceptionally well. ”Although we were shooting in so many different locations all around Estonia and Latvia, had to build impressive historical sets and produce tons of medieval props and costumes, there were no delays in the schedule nor any other major troubles. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the safety of the cast, crew and extras was always our top priority,” he said.

“We believe that Melchior the Apothecary is a series destined to cross borders, based on its storytelling values, the high production quality we want to bring to the screen, and the fact that it is based on a series of bestselling books published in many languages. The mythology of Melchior is set in the time of the Hanseatic League, a unique phenomenon in European history, which consisted of a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northwestern, Central and Eastern Europe. We believe that countries interested in the film would definitely include Germany, the Baltics and Nordic countries. So, our primary targets are in Europe; however, we believe that the nature of the project and its high production value can make it appealing beyond Europe as well,” Rips added.

The DoP of the trilogy is Mihkel Soe and the production designer of the films is Matis Mäesalu. The man protagonist is played by Märten Metsaviir; other main roles are performed by Alo Kõrve and Maarja Johanna Mägi. EF