MELCHIOR THE APOTHECARY - THE GHOST
Virtual Screening: November 10-19
MELCHIOR THE APOTHECARY: THE GHOST (Apteeker Melchior. Viirastus)
Elmo Nüganen, Estonia/Germany/Latvia/Lithuania, 2022
90 minutes, In Estonian with English subtitles
North American Premiere
Melchior the Apothecary: The Ghost delves into the enigmatic world of Melchior (Märten Metsaviir) as he confronts a chilling series of deaths shrouded in mystery. When a night watchman encounters the ghostly apparition of a drowned merchant's daughter and falls from a tower under suspicious circumstances, it marks the beginning of a sinister chain of events. As more lives are lost in eerie accidents, Melchior, who is undeterred by the supernatural presence, embarks on a relentless quest for answers that leads him to the ominous Pirita Convent, where long-buried secrets lurk in its gloomy vaults.
Amidst the shadows of his investigation, Melchior's personal life takes an unexpected and tumultuous turn when his beloved Keterlyn (Maarja Johanna Mägi) abruptly ends their engagement. In this film, suspense and intrigue intertwine and the boundary between the living and the spectral grows ever thinner in a tale that will keep audiences in suspense.
Festival History
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2022
Cottbus Festival of East European Cinema 2022
FantasPorto Festival 2023
Director bios:
Director Elmo Nüganen is an Estonian film and theater director and actor. From 1992–2021, he was the artistic director of Tallinn City Theatre. His debut as a film director and screenwriter was Names in Marble (2002), which held the top position in terms of admissions for Estonian films until 2016. Nüganen’s filmography also includes Mindless (2006) and 1944 (2015). The latter became the country’s submission for the Academy Awards in 2015. With the Melchior the Apothecary trilogy, Nüganen continues his theme of historic films, based on best-selling and internationally acclaimed novels written by Indrek Hargla. The films are a co-production between Estonia, Germany, Latvia and Lithuania.