TV Beats Co-Financing Market
Business as Usual
A darkly comic rise-and-fall story of Artur, a poor kid from Annelinn who becomes the favourite banker of Russian oligarchs - until lavish orgies, plastic bags stuffed with cash, and corruption bring him down in the world's biggest money-laundering scandal.
In 1990s Estonia, Artur, a restless kid from a Soviet-style housing block, dreams of escaping poverty. Guided by his idol Oliver, a charismatic banker, he is swept into the wild new world of finance where lavish orgies, cash-stuffed bags, and bear hunts with dignitaries become routine. But behind all the glamour, Artur is laundering billions for Russian oligarchs. As the stakes rise, relationships fracture and bodies surface, Artur must decide whether to protect himself or blow the whistle on the very system that built him.
"Business as Usual" is a darkly comic six-part thriller, inspired by the Danske Bank scandal – a world where capitalism has no rules and money covers all sins.
Director's note
"Business as Usual" is not a story about banking, but a universal tale of greed, the temptation of getting rich quickly, and the dangers that follow. At its heart is Artur, a boy from a poor background whose hunger for wealth carries him into the flow of billions, where the line between right and wrong does not blur – it becomes a calculation. The more money he makes, the more it consumes him, until he finds himself estranged from everyone close to him. What he truly longs for cannot be bought - yet he cannot stop buying.
This is a story of East meeting West, of past colliding with future, of a raw transitional society crashing headlong into Western affluence, where screaming poverty exists alongside obscene wealth. And at the centre stands one ordinary Estonian boy who, like so many, only wants to be happy.
There are few stories that place Estonia at the centre of a scheme with such global reach. But in the context of today - especially Russia's war in Ukraine – it becomes even more relevant. With ruthless honesty, it reveals why the West struggles to cut ties with Russia: trillions in dirty money circulate through Western banks each year, and removing it could bankrupt the entire system. And so, wars are tolerated and corruption is ignored, as long as the exchange rates stay stable and business as usual can continue.
Producer's note
"Business as Usual" is a six-part financial thriller inspired by the infamous Danske Bank scandal, in which 200€ billion of suspicious transactions were funnelled through Estonia. The concept originates from screenwriter and playwright Mehis Pihla, whose stage version of "Business as Usual" ("Rahamaa") was a national success. Reviewers emphasised how "the banking characters are brought uncomfortably close to the viewer, leaving one unsure whether they would have made different decisions in the same situation."
The series will be directed by Ove Musting ("Traitor" 2019 - 2024,&"Kalev" 2022) and Hendrik Toompere jr., who also staged the original play. Our aim is to combine sharp, character-driven storytelling with the precision of a premium European thriller, spiced with absurdity to spark reflection on how global capital moves, who profits, and what gets lost along the way.
This is a story about complicity and conscience, about systemic failure and personal reckoning. Above all, it is about identity, told with humour, tension, and moral weight. We believe "Business as Usual" can stand proudly among the new wave of bold European series. With the right partners, we are ready to bring it to international screens.
Subjects:
belonging, suicide, mental health, abuse, school bullying, youth, first love, coming of age
Screenwriter, producer, and director Ove Musting was born on 22 February 1977 in Sõmerpalu. He graduated in 2002 from Tallinn University with a degree in Audiovisual Arts and has furthered his education through various professional training courses. He is the director and format creator of numerous television shows and has worked as a multi-camera director for major broadcasts such as "Eesti Laul," the Song Celebration, and Republic Day performances, among others. He is a founding member of the bands Winny Puhh and Aednikud, as well as a co-founder of the circular economy platform Smartswap.com. Musting received several festival awards for his first student work, "Suicide" (1997). In 2022, he made his feature film debut with "Kalev," for which he received the Cultural Endowment’s Annual Award for Audiovisual Arts Debut, followed in 2023 by six EFTA awards.
[object Object]
Actor Hendrik Toompere jr. was born on 17 November 1986 in Tallinn. In 2010, he graduated from the XXIV class of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre’s School of Drama and has since worked as an actor at the Estonian Drama Theatre. In April 2018, he was appointed Artistic Director of the Estonian Drama Theatre.
Evelin Penttilä is a film producer based in Estonia. She started her career as a film producer in 2011 by producing short films and commercials, along with assisting experienced feature film producers in Estonia, Finland, Germany and the UK. She produced her first feature film, “Zero Point” by director Mihkel Ulk, in 2014, which was awarded Debut of the Year by the Estonian Cultural Endowment and distributed on VoD to more than 80 territories (it was the first Baltic film sold to Netflix). Her filmography today includes more than 10 feature films and numerous short films as producer or co-producer, including the feature films “The Sleeping Beast” by Jaak Kilmi (2022), “Maria’s Paradise” (2019) by Zaida Bergroth, “Helene” (2020) by Antti Jokinen, “Hit Big” (2022) by JP Valkeapää, “The Missile” (2024) by Miia Tervo, and short films such as “Bad Hair” (2019) by Oskar Lehemaa, “For Tomorrow Paradise Arrives” (2021) by Anna Hints, “The Weight of Light” (2024) by Anna Hints, and “Sauna Day” (2024) by Anna Hints & Tushar Prakash, among others. In 2015, she founded Stellar Film, which she currently runs alongside producer Johanna Maria Tamm, aiming to make films that are encouraging and inspiring, while not shying away from depicting the tragedies of life. Stellar Film focuses on bringing Estonian talent to the world, while also participating in intriguing international films. Films produced by Stellar Film have been shown and awarded at numerous festivals around the world, such as Cannes Critics’ Week, Sundance, TIFF, Hot Docs, Palm Springs IFF, Black Nights IFF, Camerimage IFF, Fantastic Fest and many others. The company currently has the feature film “Beatrice” by Vallo Toomla in financing, and in development upcoming films by German Golub, Carlos Lesmes, and Oskar Lehemaa. Evelin is a member of the European Film Academy, part of the ACE Producers and EAVE networks, and was selected as Producer on the Move 2022. Evelin started her career as a film producer in 2011 and her filmography includes more than 10 feature films. In 2015 she founded Stellar Film as the leading producer aiming to make the film sphere in Estonia more versatile. Company has a slate of projects in all stages of production and is actively looking for new international collaborations. She is a member of European Film Academy, part of ACE Producers & EAVE networks and was selected as Producer on the Move 2022
2024 Weight of Light (dir. Anna Hints) Short feature – Producer 2024 The Missile (dir. Miia Tervo) Feature film – Co-producer 2022 Hit Big (dir. JP Valkeapää) Feature film – Co-producer 2021 The Sleeping Beast (dir. Jaak Kilmi) Feature film – Producer 2020 Christmas in the Jungle (dir. Jaak Kilmi) Feature film – Co-producer 2020 Helene (dir. Antti J Jokinen) Feature film – Co-producer 2019 Maria’s Paradise (dir. Zaida Bergroth) Feature film – Co-producer 2019 Bad Hair (dor. Oskar Lehemaa) Short feature – Producer 2018 Mihkel (dir. Ari Alexander Magnusson) Feature film – Co-producer 2018 Class Reunion 2 (dir. Rene Vilbre) Feature film - Producer 2016 Class Reunion (dir. Rene Vilbre) Feature film – Producer 2014/2015 Zero Point (dir. Mihkel Ulk) Feature film / TV mini-series - Producer
Johanna Maria Tamm graduated from the Baltic Film, Media, and Arts School in 2017 and has since been actively working in the industry, producing short films, commercials, documentaries, TV series, and international feature films – many of which have gained worldwide recognition at A-class festivals. She is a producer and partner at Stellar Film, a renowned film production company based in Tallinn, Estonia, which she co-runs with Evelin Penttilä. Johanna is a board member of the Estonian Film Industry Cluster and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Leadership and Digital Communication at the University of Tartu.