Stormskerry Maja was one of the big winners at the Jussi gala on 21 March 2025. The film received seven honours, including Film of the Year and Direction of the Year – another great success for the Åland story that has moved generations.
Tiina Lymi's film adaptation became Finland's most watched film in 2024. At the Jussi gala it received both the audience's love and the industry's recognition. For us at Guldviva, the success feels especially close: Anni Blomqvist's story and the Åland archipelago have long been an important source of inspiration in Maria Karlström's design.
A story rooted on Simskäla
Anni Blomqvist's novels about Maja depict a life shaped by the sea, love, work and the conditions set by nature. The story is deeply rooted in the Åland archipelago, but its themes are universal. Perhaps that is why Maja continues to reach new readers, viewers and wearers.
She is not a hero because life is easy, but because she carries on when it is hard. In her strength there is both vulnerability and stubbornness – qualities that keep the story alive long after it was first written.
From seagrass to jewellery
Guldviva's officially licensed jewellery collection Stormskärs Maja springs from the same world. Maria Karlström found her inspiration in the seagrass that moves with the current yet stays anchored to the seabed.
It became a powerful symbol for Maja: yielding but not weak, in constant motion yet rooted in her place and her identity. In the jewellery, the organic form has been interpreted in silver and gold into something to be worn close to the body.
Seven honours and a story that lives on
The Jussi success shows the power that still lives in Stormskerry Maja. The film won six of the official categories and was also named the audience favourite – seven honours in total that evening.
We congratulate everyone who worked on the film. Thank you for carrying a beloved Åland story forward and letting new people meet Maja, the sea and life on the islands.
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