02/12/2025 - The Finnish filmmaker discusses her psychological drama, which has just picked up the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award at Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event

(© Anton Baer)

Finnish director Siiri Halko spoke to Cineuropa after her debut feature-length project, The Well, secured the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award, accompanied by a €20,000 cash prize, at this year’s Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event (see the news). Co-written by the director and Petra Koivula, the project is being produced by Jenni Jauri for Silmu Films. Blending psychological realism with subtle touches of magic, the project had its first international presentation in Tallinn, and it is described by Halko as both haunting and unexpectedly humorous.

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Cineuropa: Could you introduce The Well and outline what defines its narrative essence?
Siiri Halko: The Well is a psychological drama that explores how we tend to avoid our deepest fears by reshaping them into something we think we can control. The story follows Emmi, a young woman who has grown up carrying an overwhelming sense of responsibility for her little foster sister. At night, she dives into the old well in the courtyard, where she encounters two strange yet kind figures who try to guide her. When her carefully constructed inner world begins to collapse, she is forced to confront what she has been avoiding: her own need to matter.

The film merges psychological realism with subtle magical elements, an aesthetic I’m deeply interested in. I aim to create moments where your mind questions what is happening on screen, but your senses accept it as real. I also think it’s a very Finnish film when it comes to the tone. Everything I’ve just said might sound very serious, but it’s actually a funny film, too.

At what point are you in development, and what are the next milestones for the project?
We're working to finalise the script in the coming months. It’s a very nuanced story, and there will be room for interpretation, but we want to make sure that it’s all intentional and visible to the reader.

How would you reflect on your first international presentation of the project during Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event?
It exceeded my expectations. It was the first time we had presented the project internationally, which was quite exciting, but everything was really well organised, and we were taken care of. We had full days of very productive meetings, and coming from the solitude of writing, the event gave me a much-needed energy boost. It was especially valuable to discuss the project with professionals who were encountering it for the first time.

How do you plan to make use of the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award as you advance with the project?
We are going to primarily focus on writing and developing the visual language of the film. I have a long-standing collaboration with cinematographer Ari Virem and production designer Aki Tarkka, who built the worlds of my previous films, too. The Well is a continuation of the visual language of those films, and now, we want to develop this language further. We are going to have a test shoot already while writing, to see how understanding the aesthetics will benefit the script. The award gives us time and security for the fine-tuning process, which I am very grateful for.

Do you have an estimated timeframe for when the film might be completed?
We are aiming for spring 2028. I know this is an ambitious project, and I believe it has the potential to be very impactful and touching, so I want to make sure we get everything right before we rush into production.