Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
Literary Origins & Development
The narrative foundation is established through Hans Christian Andersen's 1844 fairy tale. Marko Raat begins adapting the classic story into a screenplay, setting the creative direction for the project.
Key Events
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Literary Foundation — Original fairy tale published by Hans Christian Andersen.
Location: 1844 Denmark
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Director Vision — Marko Raat decides to adapt the classic tale into a drama.
Location: Estonia
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Screenplay Drafting — Raft writes the original screenplay in Estonese.
Location: Estonia
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Producer Assembly — Knut Skoglund and Kaie-Ene Rääk secure production funding.
Location: Estonia
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Studio Partnerships — F-Seitse and Pomor Film collaborate as production partners.
Location: Estonia
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Casting Process — Lead actors including Epp Eespäev and Helena Merzin are cast.
Location: Estonia
Production & Casting
Producers Knut Skoglund and Kaie-Ene Rääk secure funding and partner with F-Seitse and Pomor Film. The principal and supporting cast are assembled, bringing the characters to life.
Key Events
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Casting Process — Lead actors including Epp Eespäev and Helena Merzin are cast.
Location: Estonia
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Supporting Cast Assembly — Supporting cast members join the principal ensemble.
Location: Estonia
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Crew Recruitment — Cinematographer and composer are hired for the project.
Location: Estonia
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Music Composition — Sten Šeripov composes the film's original soundtrack.
Location: Estonia
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Principal Photography — Director and cinematographer begin shooting in color.
Location: Estonia
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Actor Performances — Principal actors deliver performances for the drama and romance.
Location: Estonia
Filming & Technical Execution
Director Marko Raat and cinematographer Marius Matzow Gulbrandsen begin principal photography in color. Sten Šeripov composes the original score while actors deliver their performances across multiple locations.
Key Events
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Actor Performances — Principal actors deliver performances for the drama and romance.
Location: Estonia
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Supporting Scenes — Supporting actors film their respective scenes.
Location: Estonia
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Additional Cast Filming — Further cast members complete their filming schedules.
Location: Estonia
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Final Cast Shoots — Remaining principal actors finish their scenes.
Location: Estonia
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Closing Shoots — Final cast members complete their filming commitments.
Location: Estonia
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Editing Phase — Producer Kaie-Ene Rääk oversees the film's editing.
Location: Estonia
Post-Production & Release
Kaie-Ene Rääk oversees editing while technical teams finalize color grading and sound mixing. The 95-minute film is locked and officially released in 2010, entering the broader cinematic landscape.
Key Events
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Editing Phase — Producer Kaie-Ene Rääk oversees the film's editing.
Location: Estonia
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Color Grading — Cinematographer ensures the film maintains its color palette.
Location: Estonia
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Sound Mixing — Composer's score is integrated into the final audio track.
Location: Estonia
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Runtime Finalization — The completed film is locked at a 95-minute runtime.
Location: Estonia
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2010 Release — The film is officially released to audiences in 2010.
Location: Estonia
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Critical Context — Film is contextualized alongside major 2010 releases like Inception.
Location: Global
A wintry fairytale for adults. The unusual love story is based on the motifs of H. C. Andersen's fairytale. A woman living in an ice castle lures a boy to her. He becomes so spellbound by the woman and her land of ice that he forgets the real world. The woman hides the secret of why she is living in the cold from the boy. Those, who know the original story by H.C. Andersen, will also remember that only a few lines spoke of the relationship between the boy and the Snow Queen. The question remained unanswered: what did the boy and the Snow Queen do in the ice castle during all the time the girl spent looking for the boy?
