Estonian Film 3/2023 by Eesti Filmi Instituut

A M A G A Z I N E F R O M T H E E S TO N I A N F I L M I N S T I T U T E

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3/2023

INTERVIEWS REVIEWS NEWS

Eeva Mägi From Law to Film Directing

Rainer Sarnet,

Soviet Kung Fu Monks & Black Sabbath

BFM – Where

Dreams Become Blockbusters

Triin Ruumet is Your Guide to the Dark Paradise

Adeele Tähemaa

Her First and Solid Steps as a Producer

Andrey Paounov Maria Aua Carl OlssonViesturs Kairišs Andris Gauja

Jaan Tootsen Ülo Pikkov Eva Kübar

European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 ﬁlm cassette premiere in May 2024. Discover the ﬁlms:

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FOREWORD

The Year of the Sisterhood

2023

will go down in the history of Estonian film as the year of Smoke Sauna Sisterhood – literally and figuratively. We have a superb documentary by Anna Hints, but this has also united our filmmakers under the banner “we can make it!” Politically it is important to prioritise Estonian language cinema, and not only inward investment. That is why Estonian film will get more additional state aid than other cultural fields. The state will also introduce a new source of production finance, thanks to the Audiovisual and Media Services Directive, as other countries have done before us. In Estonia, we see film as an opportunity.

Therefore, in this issue of Estonian Film we are proud to introduce new films The Invisible Fight by Rainer Sarnet, Dark Paradise by Triin Ruumet, and Who am I Smiling For? by Eeva Mägi. You can also read about the young producer Adeele Tähemaa who has been very present and visible this year in Berlin, Cannes, and Locarno. She has some interesting new films under her belt which she introduces in the following pages. Animation is always in focus in Estonia. In this issue we explore two new films, one by Rao Heidmets, Idyll, and another by Kaspar Jancis, Antipolis.

Content 4

NEWS Smoke Sauna Sisterhood – On the Way to Oscars

DIRECTOR Rainer Sarnet. Religion, Humour & the Childish Spirit

12 FESTIVALS The Invisible Fight Taking Over the Festivals

14 NEWS Aurora in Post-Production 16 SERIES Estonia. Exploring the Back- ground of a Catastrophe

18 COVER STORY Triin Ruumet

Ain’t Afraid of Hardships, Filth & Death

24 DOCS Ice & Fire Encourage Ambitions for Children’s Rights

32 NEWS 2 x Youth Films from Tallifornia 34 EVENT PÖFF in the Spotlight 37 EVENT Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event Navigating the Future with AI

40 PRODUCER Adeele Tähemaa

Enchanted by the Diversity of Filmmaking

44 ANIMATION Orwell and Huxley

Meet in Tallinn

48 EDUCATION Where Dreams

Under the section of production news, watch out for our youth - the twins Esko Bros, whose first film Two of Me, and Meel Paliale’s Long Papers, are produced in the Tallifornia production house. But also pay attention to the well-known filmmaker duo Tolk and Maimik and their new feature Aurora.

56 REVIEW Smoke Sauna Sisterhood

Turn into Blockbusters

52 FUNDS How to Find Money in Estonia 54 REVIEW Child Machine 59 CLASSICS A Stolen Meeting 60 NEW FILMS The Overview of the Latest Estonian Films

Photos by Laura Pählapuu and Virge Viertek

Estonian Film Institute Uus 3, 10111, Tallinn, Estonia Phone: +372 627 6060 I E-mail: film@filmi.ee I filmi.ee Editor in Chief: Eda Koppel Contributing Editor: Maria Ulfsak Contributors: Johannes Lõhmus, Tristan Priimägi, Andrei Liimets, Aurelia Aasa, Peep Pedmanson, Filipp Kruusvall Translation: Tristan Priimägi, Maris Karjatse Linguistic Editing: Paul Emmet Design & Layout: Profimeedia Printed by Reflekt Cover: Triin Ruumet Photo by Virge Viertek MUAH by Karolina Veetamm Style by Kärt Hammer

ISSN-2585-674X

Estonian Film is published three times per year by Estonian Film Institute

Photo by Virge Viertek

Edith Sepp, CEO of Estonian Film Institute

28 IN FOCUS Eeva Mägi – Advocating

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood by Anna Hints are the magic words this year, but also new documentary projects are simmering away in the pot called Ice and Fire Docs – this deserves a closer look.

PÖFF is well under way with its news and developments. In this issue, we also touch on BFM, the film school in the Baltics, and their recent success story in creating FILMEU, a European Universities Network alliance. Film education and literacy is increasingly important, so when you’re done with this magazine, feel free to tune into arkaader.ee to watch an Estonian film, or learn what we are up to in the film education sector.

ESTONIAN FILM

NEWS

Director Anna Hints (on the left) and producer Marianne Ostrat celebrating their success story.

On the Way to Oscars Estonia selects Anna Hints’ documentary Smoke Sauna Sisterhood as the national entry for the Best International Feature Film Academy Award. By EFI Photos by Alexandra Film

he film is also nominated for the 8th Critics Choice Documentary Award in Best First Documentary Feature category and made it to the Cinema Eye Honor Audience Choice Prize longlist of 20 films. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, amongst other festivals, is screening at Doc NYC Winner’s Circle and IDFA Best of Fests program in November. The film also got longlisted for the Cinema Eye Honors Audience Choice Prize and British Independent Film Awards in Best International Independent Feature category.

ESTONIAN FILM

A committee convened by the Estonian Film Institute (EFI) selected Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, a feature documentary by Anna Hints, to compete for the annual Oscar award of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the Best International Feature Film category. The selection committee comprised seven members: cultural critic Andrei Liimets, producer Johanna Maria Paulson, Chairman of the Audiovisual Arts board, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Kaarel Kuurmaa, director and editor Madli Lääne-Metsalu, film directors

Marko Raat and Ove Musting, and Head of Production of the Estonian Film Institute Viola Salu. In the words of the selection committee members, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is a visually captivating film, with sensitive cinematic language that manages to capture the timely and the timeless, specific and universal, political and poetical, simultaneously. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is an Oscar contender also in the Best Documentary category. The film is distributed by Greenwich Entertainment in the USA who will release the film on the 24th November 2023. For director Anna Hints, being chosen as the national entry is a big honour. “I am deeply moved and happy that my colleagues from Estonian cinema see so much potential in Smoke Sauna Sisterhood. I am in the middle of a true world tour with the film and have experienced personally how this film speaks to people everywhere from Europe to Hong Kong, Canada, the United States and Australia. This film is born from the heart and meant to touch hearts. I can only hope that our smoke sauna power will speak to members of the American Film Academy as well.” AWARDS AND DISTRIBUTION

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood has achieved remarkable international success having received invitations to screen at more than 50 festivals, won seven awards, and received two special mentions to date. Director Anna Hints won the Directing Award in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at Sundance; the Eurimages Audentia Award for Best Female Direc-

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood had its international premiere at Sundance Film Festival where it won the Directing Award in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. The UK premiere of the film was filled with good emotions. It is being shown in more than 70 cinemas across the UK in October and November.

acclaimed Estonian films. “I’m delighted that for the first time a documentary will be representing Estonia in the best International Feature Film category. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is deservedly receiving the highest international acclaim. I am convinced that audiences around the world will be deeply moved by this intimate and unique film.” EF

is a modern and intimate film about women, who gather in the protective darkness of a smoke sauna to share their deepest secrets and wash away the shame and pain settled in their bodies. The film also introduces the ancient Old-Võromaa smoke sauna customs that have been included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The film is directed by Anna Hints, produced by Marianne Ostrat. It is shot by cinematographer Ants Tammik, edited by Hendrik Mägar, Tushar Prakash, Qutaiba Barhamji, Martin Männik and Anna Hints. The original score is composed by Edvard Egilsson (Iceland) and Eeter, with Juliette Cazanave from France, and Hlín Jóhannesdóttir from Iceland attached as co-producers. The film is produced by Alexandra Film (Estonia), Kepler22 Productions (France) and Ursus Parvus (Iceland). Photo by Justinas Auškelis

DESERVED SUCCESS

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood

Photo by Marika Goldman

tor; the McBaine Feature Documentary Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival Golden Gate Awards and the Victor Rabinowitz & Joanne Grant Award for Social Justice at Hamptons International Film Festival. The film is one of five nominees for the 2024 LUX European Audience Film Award and it is the European Film Awards candidate in Documentary Film Selection 2023. With Autlook Filmsales representing the film, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood’s distribution rights have been sold to more than 32 territories from the USA to New Zealand and Canada to South Korea. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood began its overseas theatrical releases in Great Britain and Ireland on October 13. The film will be screened in more than 70 cinemas across the UK during October and November. In Ireland, the film will initially be shown in cinemas in the capital, Dublin. Theatrical release in Lithuania followed right after. In Estonia the film has gathered more than 28,000 admissions and is currently running in theatres for the 30th week.

The team introduces whisking (hitting yourself with a bunch of whisks) around the world.

Producer Marianne Ostrat of Alexandra Film is elated over the committee’s decision. “It’s a big honour! Every year, documentaries that premiered at Sundance and were awarded there, find their way to Oscar nominations - so have we set our sails for the Oscars journey. We are not just going to try our luck but attempt to fulfil the film’s full potential – in two categories.” In the words of Viola Salu, EFI’s Head of Production, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is one of the most internationally ESTONIAN FILM

DIRECTOR

ESTONIAN FILM

Religion, Humour & the Childish Spirit Rainer Sarnet’s The Invisible Fight premiered in Locarno and has been screened at many international film festivals ever since. Tristan Priimägi interviews the director.. By Tristan Priimägi Photos by Laura Pählapuu

he Invisible Fight sports a blend of elements that are seemingly incompatible – kung fu, Black Sabbath, the Soviet era, orthodox church. How did this mix arise and become a cohesive movie?

It all started when I brought a friend in the hospital a book called “Not of This World”. It contained real-life stories of two young orthodox monks who both died young. The gift was meant to be taken with black humour - we are both fans of decadence. My friend proposed an idea: to make a movie about monks. So, he gave me a present in return. The story that stood out for me in the book spoke about a young monk, Father Rafael, who was active in the Soviet Union during the Seventies, in the monastery in Pechory. I began to explore the era and it turned out that many young Russian monks were ex-hippies. There was a resistance to the material world, and, as hippies, orthodox monks wear their hair long, have black clothes, and there are skulls in

the catacombs. You might say that their universe seemed quite rock’n’roll to me. The idea to use the music of Black Sabbath developed from there, and to start the arc of the protagonist with some kind of rebellious act. For him, the catalyst is outer coolness, as it is with the young. Exploring Father Rafael’s life, it came out that he had served in the army near the Chinese border, his military unit was attacked by Chinese bandits, and he alone survived. At that point, the thought of adding kung fu emerged: Rafael sees the Chinese use it while in the army and is inspired to learn it himself. Just as religion, martial arts were forbidden in the Soviet Union. So, it’s a sort of double rebellion. I also chanced upon a website called “Death to the World”, run by an ex-punk orthodox monk. There was a line: the last real revolt is the monastery. So that kung fu, Black Sabbath, and the monastery are joined together by rebellion. My contact with Black Sabbath happened in ESTONIAN FILM

DIRECTOR

Photo by Iris Kivisalu

RAINER SARNET While the Estonian film director Rainer Sarnet’s last feature, November (2017) was an intersection of Estonian pagan legends and Christian mythologies, his new film The The Invisible Fight is a kung fu comedy set in an Orthodox monastery in the 1970s Soviet Union. He is a film director who mainly writes his own scripts, often basing them on literature. Sarnet, who is passionate about Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Orthodox mysticism, has in addition to filmmaking also directed plays in the theatre, based on texts by Przybyszewski and Jelinek, among others, and considers reading one of his favourite activities. “Art is a poetic way to describe human psychology,” Sarnet has said.

The fake does not evolve. You need to have some sort of infantile open mind.

SELECTED FILMS: The The Invisible Fight (2023, premiere: Locarno IFF Official Competition), November (2017, premiere: Tribeca IFF Official Competition), The Idiot (2011, premiere: Busan IFF Official Competition) Photo by Gabriela Urm

school, thanks to my nephew who had all of Sabbath’s records and barely listened to anything else. He tried to write similar poetry, containing hell, demons, and old graveyards. Making this film, I asked an orthodox priest if it’s okay to use Black Sabbath music in this context, and he answered that Ozzy sings about the same religious things – Ozzy is a religious man. What does the film talk about? The burden of being a human and the responsibility that comes with it? Is that something you ponder a lot?

For me, The Invisible Fight is about authenticity. Be who you are. My protagonist is dumb and joins the monastery for the wrong reasons, but he is authentic in his stupidity, and that is crucial for any kind of development. The fake does not evolve. You need to have some sort of infantile open mind. The Gospel emphasizes the role of a child; we are children of God. Our relation to God is like that of a child, who is to be forgiven and loved. Finding and maintaining that childish spirit was crucial while making this film. And writing it. I tried to switch off the intellectual role assumption of a grownup as best I could. In me, and also in Rafael. I discovered that my 10-year-old son is a fan of this film, as well as the son of Katrin Kissa, our producer. Some kind of childish spirit entered The Invisible Fight. I do not dwell much on how to be human, at least not consciously. As the Church Fathers say: in Christianity, everything should come simply and naturally, without effort. You cannot do all the right things here and now either. And we cannot achieve everything rely-

ESTONIAN FILM

The Invisible Fight is a martial arts comedy that talks about the themes of love and religion.

ing only on our own strength. But what is impossible for man, is obtainable for God. This is the state of the child. The Invisible Fight offers a whole array of quasi-religious doctrines that are wildly exaggerated at times. Should people learn something from these? Or the film?

When I met the monks for the first, time, I was very surprised by their humour. A sense of the absurd, even. As one monk said, without a sense of the absurd, there is no way to put earth and heaven together. I discovered a lot of joy there. Not artificial joy, but the real one. The

The film proposes that religion, God is the instrument that can solve the riddle of man. What are you own religious beliefs?

Ursel Tilk is playing the main character of The Invisible Fight, Rafael a hooligan who wants to become a monk.

I joined the Orthodox church during the shooting period, in the same monastery in Pechory. The film took me there, as well as rebellion, rock n’ roll. I saw no contradiction. I had been baptised earlier, but it seemed to me that I could join the Orthodox fold. I don’t have to make a pretend face. I don’t have to be better than I am, or anyone else, for that matter. The experience of authenticity, every one of us carries the shape of God. No big deal.

Photo by Iris Kivisalu

Orthodox faith has been called the faith of the heart. There is very little which is scholastic, or rational. Heart leads the way; emotions, love and beauty. Saint Siluan, a 20th Century saint, says that there is no understanding of the Bible without the grace of the holy spirit. What’s important is the condition, the state of love. It is one thing to understand the Bible with reason, the other, with a state of love. The Church Fathers say that it’s not even of any importance what we do or say (we all do and say something stupid from time to time), but our state of mind. Joy is the objective. Then there is no malignancy. There is joy behind the cross. If my film was to carry any message, it would be an invitation to be more joyful. An ode to joy, if you will.

I do not like missions in real life, and I don’t think that this topic is a taboo which cannot be discussed. Religions have disgraced themselves, no question there. But who’s to blame? This is what we are. I am a Christian too and I disgrace myself constantly. But the church is not an institution where you have a contractual relationship; some paper that you must respect, or you will get fired. No-one can live without fault. The main activity is inside, The Invisible Fight. We rise, we fall, and rise again. Religion has largely identified itself through power, and by doing that has lost a lot of its persuasiveness. But an old Russian priest said that if the church represents power too much, the church always loses. Early Christianity was the faith of the rejected and enslaved. Christ gave up any political ambition, and that’s why he was crucified by the disappointed masses who were waiting for the Messiah; someone to liberate the Jews from the Roman Empire. But Christ didn’t come to create states and empires, and minister their laws, but to touch the heart of the individual. His

Photo by Iris Kivisalu

Photo by Gabriela Urm

Ester Kuntu as Rita.

Is The Invisible Fight not in danger of becoming didactic with all its teachings? People tend to run away from preaching.

Such is the style of the Bible. The film is also divided in chapters – lessons in humility. The master teaches the apprentice. Like in the Seventies kung fu films. A certain didacticism is part of it already, aesthetically. ESTONIAN FILM

DIRECTOR way, the words of the scriptures have a divine energy that works even if you don’t hear or understand everything. It is not the word of God by reason, but by saturation with the divine spirit. Your films have always been very precise in their visual aesthetics – what to depict, and how. What were the main visual markers for The Invisible Fight?

The visual universe started with me discovering similar traits in Orthodox icons and seventies pop art. Some flatness in both. People are not depicted very psychologically, even Christ on the cross is not visibly in any pain. Icons miss the tragic human psychological aspect. Kung fu films and the Soviet comedies from the Seventies are flat in a similar way. There is some lightness and serenity there. I wanted to stay true to that atmosphere. The colours should be bright and shiny, and the characters come without excessive philosophical weight. On the other hand, I wanted to have some religious feeling to carry the whole thing. With Jussi Rantaniemi, we did a lot of work connecting the comical and epic moods while editing. So that too much tomfoolery wouldn’t devour the spiritual, and vice versa. Ourselves, we called it the rock n’ roll gospel. It is sometimes said that humour is the universal language, but it most certainly is not. People have wildly different ideas about what is funny. You have been very bold with humour in The Invisible Fight How did you approach that topic, and did you have a lot of thought about its essence and quantity in the film?

True, making jokes is hard. What if nobody laughs? The joke reveals the joker – what if I’m a jerk? With The Invisible Fight, I knew from the beginning that I cannot make a serious film about monks. I felt that it doesn’t fit the theme, at least not according to my own experience. In the Pechory monastery, we had a lot of laughs. The pilgrims are weirdos as well. We laughed ecstatically at times. I was even amused by the vicious ladies who call for order in the church from under their headscarves. The monks called them the Orthodox Witches. Lately, irony has become a target for criticism. I think that irony allows us to show things from different commandments are spiritual, not legal. This is the source of much misunderstanding. People want to use these commandments to subjugate others to their will. Just like Christ said quite originally to the priests of the time: “You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!” You might say that Christ came on account of the misunderstood scriptures, because of the Bible, to relay the essence of the commandments – love one another. It is understandable that anything said on this topic today will create aversion. In religion, I was not drawn so much to the teachings, but the sensory experience. Music and beauty, icons, Liturgy that I really relish. Orthodox Liturgy is meditative. You are more connected with it by a sensory state, than reason. Psalms are read in a singsong

ESTONIAN FILM

Photo by Locarno FF

Photos by Gabriela Urm

You have gradually let go of the good conventions, or any conventions in your films. They are,

Kaarel Pogga plays a monk named Irinei, who tries to sabotage the newcomer’s progress at the monastery. The happy team at Locarno: (from the left) Kaarel Pogga, Alise Gelze, Katrin Kissa, Rainer Sarnet, Ester Kuntu, Ursel Tilk and Amanda Livanou.

above all, completely original. How do you as an avid film fan avoid the usual frames and tropes of cinema?

For me, cinema is communication between people. All the people in the world are different, so should all the films ideally be unique. Of course, we all wish to be successful, but this should not become a goal on its own. Success levels the authenticity, being true to yourself. Why did I greedily gorge on so many films at some point, especially B-movies? In order to find that immediate communication. To find a person who is speaking with their own voice, albeit not perfectly. I pull my weight as I can. An idea is something that provides power. There are many ideas that seem sensible but there is no power behind them. Then something silly pops up in your mind and you spend years intrigued, trying to work out what becomes of it. Is Estonian cinema moving in the right direction, and how can we stand out?

Photo by Liisabet Valdoja

perspectives simultaneously. The monks were not single-mindedly hostile against the orthodox witches either. Without humour, things don’t work, one old Russian man said to me in church. There is no consensus to be achieved with humour, we don’t need to all laugh universally at something, and be all serious about something else. Playing the fool has other objectives. In Russian Orthodoxy, there is a tradition called Yurodivyi – A Fool-for-Christ. Yurodivyi is a holy madman who expresses his faith in an untraditional way, turning things on their head. There is a truth about man in that. This kind of expression brings forth a lot of things that the reasonable mind couldn’t capture. Hamlet acted mad too, also to find out the truth. Playing the fool is an ancient artform, because it unlocks something in the human essence that we keep hidden all the time. Our imperfection. Religion has a very adequate and relaxed attitude towards human imperfection. It is taken for granted that we are sick. Religious thought and art have the same effect on me as the absurd or surrealism. The undefinable aspects are commonplace. Suffering and death are taken lightly, even with joy. It provides a peace of mind in difficult situations, but without rose-tainted glasses. Christ is full of contradictions, and this is captivating.

Photo by Iris Kivisalu

Today, young people are receiving financial support to make their first full-length features. I wait for those eagerly. Especially Tõnis Pill’s Frank, and the Esko Brothers’ Two of Me. Also, Veiko Õunpuu’s new film Serafima and Bogdan. Estonia is tiny, and any rigid guidance would cripple Estonian cinema completely. It is most important to keep it alive and not to sever these fragile veins that make the heartbeat. No-one knows which one is the most important vein. There is no direction in art. EF ESTONIAN FILM

Photos by Liisabet Valdoja

Photo by Riga IFF

FESTIVALS

The world premiere of The Invisible Fight took place in the Main Competition programme at Locarno.

The Invisible Fights was the opening film of Riga IFF.

Taking Over the Festivals The Invisible Fight by Rainer Sarnet is a kung fu comedy set in an Orthodox monastery in the Soviet Union during the 1970s. The film has been selected to more than 20 international festivals. The world premiere took place in Locarno in Switzerland, the US premiere was at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.

Photo by Homeless Bob

Photo by Fantastic Fest

THE INVISIBLE FIGHT TRAVELS: Love and Anarchy IFF (Finland), Warsaw IFF (Poland), Montreal Festival du Noveau Cinema (Canada) Sitges IFF (Spain), CinEast (Luxembourg), Riga IFF (Latvia), SXSW Sydney (Australia), MonsterFest (Australia), La Roche sur Yon (France), The Imagine Film Festival (The Netherlands), Thessaloniki International Film Festival (Greece), Mumbai Film festival / Tata Sky (India), Cottbus IFF (Germany), PÖFF (Estonia).

The film was presented by Eddie Tsai at Fantastic Fest.

The premiere of The Invisible Fight at Love and Anarchy FF in Helsinki.

NEWS

Aurora New Estonian feature film Aurora completed shooting this summer. Directed and scripted by the creative tandem of Rain Tolk and Andres Maimik, Aurora is a psychological drama, described by the authors as an ensemble film that dissects the relationships and secrets of one family. By EFI Photos by Gea Kumpel

he film was shot using the method of Character Based Improvisation (CBI). In this process, actors are mostly responsible for the character and the directors for the drama. The story shifted and changed constantly during the shooting period and evolved according to the new improvisational rehearsals. Producer Madis Tüür says that CBI was used both in the development of the script and during the shooting period. “It gives filmmaking a lot of additional creative freedom, both on the directing and acting side. At the same time, it creates extra tension for all the departments, because they must be prepared for any sudden changes. Everything went according to plan on the practical side,

ESTONIAN FILM

considering. As we all agreed that we needed to be ready for anything, every department did more than was expected of them, as did the cast. We got a very interesting mix of characters, and a captivating world, as a result,” Tüür explains. Aurora tells the story of a daughter of a religious leader, getting involved in an extramarital affair that destroys her previous life. Years later, Madis Tüür

at a wedding anniversary in the family circle, she gets a message that tears open old wounds. The theme of the film is very current: conflict between traditional values and individual self-realization. The protagonist Aurora is a young woman who has spent her formative years in an extremely authoritarian community. There, the majority of people sacrifice their personal beliefs in this sort of environment for collective aspirations personified by the dominating authority figure. Those who do not obey, must be “saved” by any means necessary, made to feel guilt and forced to submit. The main characters are played by Maarja Johanna Mägi, Jörgen Liik, Indrek Taalmaa, Rea Lest, Ott Kartau, etc. Producer Madis Tüür adds that Aurora is a film about learning how to be a human – how you must wander to find “the Photo by Triinu Jalakas

Maarja Johanna Mägi plays Aurora, a young woman who has spent her life in a closed religious community.

Scriptwriters and directors Andres Maimik (on the left) and Rain Tolk working on the set.

Aurora tells the story of a daughter of a religious leader, getting involved in an extramarital affair that destroys her previous life.

right way”, and how it is relatively hard to tell in the end, which way is the right one. “Aurora is a modern and a human story. The festivals are still shaping up, but all the interested parties are welcome to get in touch. The theatrical release is currently planned for Autumn 2024.” Aurora is produced by Kuukulgur Film. The cinematographer of the film is Heiko Sikka, production design is by Anneli Arusaar, costumes are by Kärt Hammer, sound design is created by Horret Kuus, and the composer of the film is Sten Sheripov. The Estonian distribution of Aurora is handled by Hea Film, international distribution is still open. EF ESTONIAN FILM

SERIES

Estonia

Exploring the Background of a Catastrophe

A brand-new TV series about the sinking of cruise ferry Estonia was presented at Toronto Film Festival’s Primetime programme this autumn. The series is a co-production between Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and Belgium, with a budget of 15.4 million euro. By Maria Ulfsak Photos by Fisher King

he eight-part series is a story about one of the deadliest civil maritime disasters of all time that took place on the Baltic Sea in 1994, when 852 people perished in just half an hour when the ferry quickly sank on a stormy autumn night. Estonia is planned for sale to TV stations and VOD platforms all over the world. In the words of the Estonian producer Elina Litvinova, Estonia is a project which has been a long time in the making. Showrunner Miikko Oikonen from Finland already started writing it in 2019, and Estonian screenwriting duo Andris Feldmanis and Livia Ulman were co-writing the script to add the Estonian point of view. In autumn 2021, there was hope that the project would be greenlighted by the financi-

ers, and the rest happened very quickly, because the shoot was planned to start already in the following spring. For preparing a series of this scale, it is extremely short notice. “We knew that we had to prepare about 80 shooting days in a certain time-

Doris Tislar

ESTONIAN FILM

frame, but it was unclear what material we will end up filming in which country. In the end, it was shot in six different countries, and the team was comprised of people from those six countries as well. The biggest challenge was to find a location where to shoot the scenes taking place on the ferry. No shipping company wanted their name to be associated with this story. Through ship brokers, we managed to find a Finnish guy who had a ship in Turkey at the time. It was a total adventure on its own to move a production like this outside the European Union, but everything worked out finally, and we managed to film the scenes on the ship in

Estonia

is a Fisher King production, made in co-production with Panache Productions & La Compagnie Cinematrographique, Amrion Productions and Kärnfilm AB for MTV, TV4 AB and ProSiebenSat.1. It is distributed by Beta Film. Format: 8 x one hour Synopsis: After one of the deadliest maritime disasters in European history, the sinking of the MS Estonia in September 1994, a transnational team of investigators promises the survivors and bereaved full clarification.

Egon Nuter

five days, in two shifts and in every corner of the vessel, because the rental of the ship is extremely high,” Litvinova explains. In her words, Estonia is the most grandiose project of all time to be shot in the world’s largest pool studio, Lites Studio in Belgium. According to executive producer Riina Sildos, the development of the series began with thorough research into materials published in the media and elsewhere, conducted by experts in Finland, Sweden and Estonia. “Simultaneously, financing of the project began, and we didn’t have much say in that, because in Estonia, funding for a TV series is very limited. The Estonian Film Institute (EFI) supported the script development, and during production we had lots of help from EFI’s cash rebate program Film Estonia. Preparation for the shoot took place in close collaboration between partners – we were all looking for ships, helicopters and other necessary elements, and discussed how it would be best to conduct the shoot in the most economically viable way. It was also great to admit that we succeeded in putting together a top team from different countries. Some of the people had worked together on film

projects before, and that guaranteed a great atmosphere and dynamics on the set,” says Sildos. The series is directed by Måns Månsson and Juuso Syrjä and is created by Miikko Oikkonen. The cinematographer is J-P Passi, Estonians in the creative team were one of the editors Moonika Põdersalu, costume designer Jaanus Vahtra, make up designer Kaire Hendrikson, VFX producer Heiki Luts (Frost Films) etc. Estonian actors in the cast are Egon Nuter, Kaspar Velberg, Gert Raudsep, Rain Simmul, Kaspar Velberg Doris Tislar, and others. Estonia had a chance to participate in this project as a vital creative partner, because many Estonian team members were on board for the whole thing, not just the Estonian part. “Everyone gave their best and more to bring this relevant and delicate story to the screen. We

had had previous everyday contact with the post-production as well, because a large part of the special effects was made by the Estonian VFX company Frost Films. The fact that so many Estonian department heads and team members were taken along for the international shooting period shows great trust in our film industry and work standards,” adds Elina Litvinova. Estonia has already been recognized internationally as a world class series, as it was selected to Toronto Film Festival’s Primetime program that showcased nine series selected out of more than 200 submissions. Riina Sildos adds: “We had agreed from the start that it is crucial for us to remain discreet and not to insult the memory of the departed, as it is a very sensitive subject. Already in the early stages of scriptwriting, we ruled out any conspiracy theories and concentrated on depicting and solving the profound human drama. I think we succeeded in doing that.” EF ESTONIAN FILM

COVER STORY

Triin Ruumet

Ain’t Afraid of Hardships, Filth & Death Triin Ruumet’s second full-length feature film Dark Paradise premiered domestically in Autumn 2023. By Johannes Lõhmus Photos by Virge Viertek MUAH by Karolina Veetamm Style by Kärt Hammer

fter her father’s death, Karmen (Rea Lest) must look in the mirror for the first time in her life and try to understand who she really is. Triin Ruumet won all the possible awards from the Estonian film industry with her debut The Days that Confused (2016). In her next story, she has gone a few steps further to shake the viewer out of their comfy chair and force us to come to terms with our own psychological selves. Both of your features excel in being authentic. You can make the audience feels as if we were sharing the world with the characters of the film. How do you achieve that?

It’s a complicated question. There is a very specific feeling that arises at a film shoot. Like a vortex that engulfs you for a month and a half, together with all those other people. Usually, it results in a very intimate relation where everyone understands that they are in this fight together, and mutual communication becomes very pure. I have no recipe for achieving this. There’s the initial idea like a scribble on a sheet of paper. You start drawing from one end, bits of informa-

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On the Big Screen

tion get added in time, and authenticity emerges during the process. I trust my subconscious a lot, and when things don’t quite go as planned at the shoot, it’s better to believe that it is all good for something. Based on that trust, the film partly directs itself as well. What part of filmmaking are you most comfortable with?

I love being at the shoot most. It’s the time that inspires or drives me to make films. My mind works in the way that allows me to be most aware during shooting. All the tension, adrenaline and sleep deprivation combined makes me feel more alive than a regular workday. I feel that my mind expands, and this is where I’ve got to be. While I am usually really worried about what to say and where, then I can always find the right words at the shoot. Some automatism comes to play that is very liberating because you understand that everything cannot be processed reasonably, and you’ve got to trust your instinct. When you see how the whole process works, it gives you strength and confidence.

COVER STORY

Photo Heikki Leis

Although Dark Paradise isn’t autobiographical, one has to be ready to strip your soul naked in the writing phase and share your emotional universe. There was a 7.5-year gap between your two feature films. Why?

I would gladly make a film in every 2-3 years if that were possible. Although my movies have been a long time in development so far, I hope to become a faster writer, and be able to make movies more often if the financing schemes improve a bit as well. On the other hand, the shooting periods are so intense that I am not entirely sure that I can afford to experience it more often. I gather my strength during all the intermittent years to survive this single big crash. You speak about intuition, being aware and present, openness to randomness. The atmosphere and environment of your films is always very excessively decorated and well thought out. How do you operate with these things?

I like to plan everything ahead and write meticulously. Maybe I will become more improvisational in the future, but generally I want to make a precise plan together with the cinematographer and the production designer. This allows me to concentrate on the actors and channel my energy elsewhere, as it is needed. This meticulousness is also evident in the authenticity that your films provide.

Although Dark Paradise isn’t autobiographical, one has to be ready to strip your soul naked in the writing phase and share your emotional universe. To be willing to pawn your inner world for the things you want to show. Is the team more open and involved in that case too?

It made me very happy that a sort of centrifugal force emerged amongst the team during the making of Dark Paradise. The shooting period is important for me also because I try to give everything I can to make sure that it is not just another project for the people involved. Me just robbing their time. Making a feature

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film means months of hard and intense work for many departments and sacrificing all your time. Not just a nine to five job, but full dedication. I sense this responsibility I have for these people and feel happy for what they bring along to the set. The protagonists of your movies, Allar in The Days that Confused and Karmen in Dark Paradise, are both lost youngsters, aged 27. One a simple guy from a small town in South Estonia and the other a student girl from a wealthy background. What unites or separates these two?

They are certainly similar in their inability to grow up, and a reluctance to participate in real life and take responsibility. But they have different backgrounds, and they have reached different points in their development due to that. Plus, the era is different too. Allar is more passive and Karmen more reactive.

Dark Paradise takes siblings Karmen (Rea Lest) and Viktor (Jörgen Liik) to many strange, funny and difficult places both physically and mentally.

Dark Paradise begins with a funeral ceremony that could mean a lot for a young person, and elevates a person who has buried a parent to a next level of development, after passing the funeral rites. Here, the emotional coping and support is pushed aside by the cold calculation of assets and debts. It feels as if the theme of the film is how to undergo certain processes that are seemingly hidden in daily life, and the inability to deal with those processes leaves some to languish in limbo. What do you think of that?

You mean that personal growth and development is thwarted by today’s inability to deal with hardships, filth and death? Surely, the same thoughts that everyone has lost it prevailed in previous times too. Rather, I see the world as a place where everything goes the way it must, and there is nothing strange or problematic about that.

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COVER STORY

Triin Ruumet (b 1988) is Estonian film director. She has a Master’sdegree in film directing from the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School. Her first full-length feature The Days that Confused (2016) was a domestic box office success. The drama comedy won the critics award, the Film of the Year award from the Cultural Endowment and six EFTAs (Estonian Film and Television Awards). The film premiered internationally in Karlovy Vary (East of the West section) and received a Special Jury Prize. Ruumet’s new film Dark Paradise had its domestic premiere in September 2023. The film is a dark tale of two siblings trying to cope after the death of their father. The main roles are played by Rea Lest, Jörgen Liik and Juhan Ulfsak.

It’s true that Dark Paradise speaks about a certain lack of intimacy that is characteristic of our generation, or the influence of all the ordeals of previous generations on today’s youth. I do not necessarily believe in saving the world, I’d rather guess that everything ends at some point, civilizations emerge, rise and fall, just as people are born, live and die – only on a larger scale. Chaos and darkness have no negative connotations for me. Suffering and pain are bad because they are hard to endure, but often they are part of the process. It can feel unpleasant, but things must change, so that something new can be born out of that. We called our film a Gothic fairy-tale where everything happens in the opposite way than usual, and that is okay. Chaos, too, is necessary for purification. Doesn’t modern man aspire towards eternal happiness where there is no place for suffering?

The concept of happiness is intriguing, because we assume that life should be hygge and I wish for everything to be alright as well, but that’s not what reality is like, is it? I’ve never achieved anything languishing on a canapé. It is just an island for momentary rest. It relaxes me to know that although life is hard, it’s okay if it is possible to catch a breath now and then. But nowadays we often live in an Instagram-world where it is assumed that life is like a vacation photo. This affects our subconsciousness a lot and makes us vulnerable to life’s brutal reality. Both of your features have a motive of ritual, in Dark Paradise, the characters are looking for simple answers to complex problems through ritualistic means. What is your relation to all that?

I have been more involved in it in the past, but my views have changed. The human mind is invincible, and can make anything work for it, but I think that life itself is the greatest master of rituals and it is best to just trust life. Religious fervour, belonging to sects, or undergoing some rituals can drain more energy than

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it can offer, and I believe that a human being is at its strongest when facing itself. There is no need to find someone to tell you how things are, because truth is often served through strong filters, and it is more likely that you will find something interesting through self-inspection. These are the matters of taking responsibility for your own life. Is it easier to make a film or deal with these matters?

I do deal with these matters while making a film. People make art largely because they feel the need to map and reflect their inner world somehow. In an interview given during the shoot you stressed the need to keep in touch with real life and the thought about going to medical school. Did you?

It didn’t happen because I was in Paris during the entrance exams, where a large part of the post-production for Dark Paradise was done. I was told that I cannot participate long-distance, so I had to forget it, but something else came up instead. The main idea here is to find some supporting activity in both a psychological and material sense. Something that helps you to keep in touch with life and other people, even when you are in the middle of an intensive writing session at home, and need some feedback from the world. Remaining alone with your own thoughts can be destructive. I think that the fantasy about a medical profession was too romantic. I had the urge to find out whether I can make it in such an environment. Your earlier films have mainly male protagonists. Dark Paradise’s lead is female, but her journey seems to be an attempt to fill the void left by men. Why?

I think it’s typical that some problems and inner voids are filled with themes of the opposite sex. While I stressed earlier the importance of getting to know yourself and being able to spend time by yourself, it can be hard to make it on your own, and it’s natural to need and want someone by your side. There is something primal about seeking the security of closeness and intimacy, but it’s about balance in the end. Karmen is certainly out of balance and becomes self-destructive, because something has been broken along the way. It seems that all the characters in Dark Paradise have a very urgent need to compensate. The provocative ending, that probably pisses many people off, works because it leaves the door open for interpretation. Either you get so agitated that you turn your back to everything, or try to understand what it is exactly that makes you angry.

The ending can certainly piss you off indeed (laughs). Compensating comes from the fact that

people have a hard time accepting themselves because of how life, heritage and many other things have lined up. How long do we have to stew in it? Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I believe that surviving traumas and hardships makes us look inside ourselves and accept the shadows within. Kind of a Jungian thought about becoming more perfect through suffering. Life is like a great shaman, who grabs you by the hair in the right moment and shoves your head down the toilet if you try to run from your shadow and ignore the dark nights. I really love an audio lecture by the essayist writer Heili Sepp, called “Dark Night of the Soul”. It explains that suffering has meaning, and its purpose is to allow us to move a bit closer to ourselves every time. Maybe you finally come to know yourself when you stand on the edge of your grave, or in the afterlife. We don’t know that. I think that light and shadow in us are both eternal, and that’s intriguing.

Life is like a great shaman, who grabs you by the hair in the right moment and shoves your head down the toilet if you try to run from your shadow and ignore the dark nights. What effect do you hope to achieve with Dark Paradise?

Ideally, it could help people to glance towards their shadow. To shake them loose from the mental comfort zone, the homogenous stasis. That’s why I added the provocation in the end, but not only to irritate but to imply that it is the people themselves who create tension in themselves. I hope it unclogs something somewhere. What lies ahead for you as a filmmaker?

I don’t want to talk about my next film, because too much blabber can drain the energy out of the ideas. I will probably remain a filmmaker because I like it and I think I should continue. I need to come up with a system that would help me to become a better, more precise work partner, and to move towards sharpness and simplicity in my art, so that I could say more with less. To explore the possibilities of co-existence of profundity and entertainment, and to solve this equation with the help of black humour, because these are the kind of things that move me the most. EF ESTONIAN FILM

DOCS

Photo by Kristiina Iilane

Ice & Fire Encourage Ambitions There have always been documentary directors with talent and a unique style in Estonia, and Estonian documentary films have gathered tens of thousands of viewers in domestic cinemas. At the same time, it has been a challenge for filmmakers telling local original stories that would resonate around the world, and having the courage to think on a larger scale. By Filipp Kruusvall Photos by Aron Urb

xperience has shown that it is usually too late to start thinking about ambitious international distribution for a project in post-production. In order to fully unlock the potential of a film, the critical importance lies in the early stage – both the producer and di-

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rector must then make important decisions about what their story focuses on, and the visual language; as well as what the approach towards storytelling in the film will be. This is essential to meet the requirements of the distribution channels where the film will primarily be shown. In other words, the storytelling approach,

visual style and the overall integrity of the content, along with the accompanying marketing and distributing plan, are things that the filmmakers should nail down in early stages of development or production of a documentary film. THE BEGINNING

In 2019, the Estonian Film Institute and the Estonian Documentary Guild initiated the training program called Ice and Fire Docs led by documentary expert Filipp Kruusvall. The aim of this program was to provide support and knowledge for Estonian documentary filmmakers, focusing on full-length documentary film projects in the early stages, so that they could make important decisions regarding development, production, financing, and distribution issues. Internationally

acknowledged training expert Mikael Opstrup from Denmark became the creative leader of the Ice and Fire Docs programme. Mikael Opstrup has worked as a documentary film producer at the Danish Film Institute, and as a producer and co-owner at Final Cut Productions. Opstrup has also excelled in the position of education manager at the network of European documentaries EDN, as well as a moderator at major documentary co-production markets such as IDFA, Hot Docs, and Nordisk Panorama. Another major mentor of the program is Jesper Osmund, a renowned film editor and storytelling consultant in filmmaking, who has been involved in the production of more than 100 documentary films. Among his latest films that have won several awards there are for instance Nelly&Nadine, and Becoming Zlatan. While most training programs involve a variety of advisors and experts who guide film projects, that sometimes also leads to conflicting advice, then Ice and Fire Docs places value on having projects in their vulnerable early stages under the continuous care of Mikael and Jesper. This ensures that the whole process is in safe hands, and the filmmakers can more deeply concentrate on their projects. The Finnish Documentary Guild has been involved in organising the training

program from the beginning, and seven documentary projects both from Estonia and Finland are selected for the training program. The Finnish Film Foundation and AVEK are among the supporters of the training. On one hand, Estonians and Finns share enough similarities, and the documentary industries of both countries face similar challenges; on the other hand, being in the same training group allows them to provide feedback on how understandable the story is when viewed from a different cultural perspective. For both sides, this serves as a good opportunity to test their project’s potential from various international viewpoints. TRAINING IN THREE PARTS

Ice and Fire Docs consists of three threeday sessions. The first two sessions focus on storytelling, while the third session covers distribution and marketing topics. There is a gap of two to four months between the sessions to give participating filmmakers time for project development, and for addressing new emerging questions during the subsequent sessions. One of the unique features of Ice and Fire Docs is the extraordinary and inspiring venues of the training program located outside urban areas – this definitely encourages a better focus. The very first session of the training took place at the

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DOCS Marianne Ostrat,

Arvo Pärt Centre that is a place with captivating architecture and surrounded by a pine forest close to the sea. The opening and closing sessions of the training have been held at the Koolimäe Creative House in the wilderness of Lahemaa National Park. The mid-sessions have taken place in Finland – for the first time in a picturesque old factory building located by a rapid river in Ruukki, Billnäs; and for the second time in Karkkila, where also the wonderful Aki Kaurismäki’s Cinema Laika is situated. Thanks to the world-class documentary film consultants and group work, the script plans, narrative structures, and choosing characters for the film project become much clearer. This is significant-

Pasi Hakkio,

producer of Lynx Man. Ice and Fire Docs second edition participant:

“For us the Ice and Fire was very effective, and we got great answers to our questions during all the sessions of the workshop. But even more importantly we became self-confident about the film after hearing other people’s thoughts on it. That made it possible for us to proceed towards the final film. Finally, Lynx Man ended up being a Finnish-Estonian co-production and released in cinemas in both countries. I wish things would always be so smooth!”

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ly helpful in entering or going on with the filming phase. This training also gives an additional boost and support to participate in international co-production markets, with projects of much higher potential and quality to find co-producers and funding. The final stage of the training is dedicated to the various topics of sales, distribution, and marketing, all of this is of great assistance in creating the marketing and distribution plan for the completed film. THE SUCCESS STORIES

The network that forms through the collaboration of Estonian and Finnish documentary filmmakers and producers during the training is also crucial. The program has created so many new contacts and led to some successful co-productions. A good example is the Finnish-Estonian co-production film Lynx Man, which has made it to festivals such as CPX:DOX, and Hot Docs. Both producers of the film took part in the training. There is already a remarkable number of internationally acclaimed films among the first graduates of Ice and Fire Docs. For instance, the documentary Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (director Anna Hints), that is one of the most remarkable success stories in the region, participated in the very first training group. The film received the Best Director Award for a documentary film at the Sundance Film Festival; and in addition to its widespread festival presence, the film has also been distributed in cinemas in nearly a dozen countries. It can be said that Ice and Fire Docs came at the perfect time for the film

producer of Smoke Sauna Sisterhood. Ice and Fire Docs first edition participant: Ice and Fire Docs Workshop was an important turning point for Smoke Sauna Sisterhood. There, one of our tutors asked: “So, girls, do you want to go to Sundance with your film?”. I had just taken on that project as a producer - the previous producer had passed away - and the situation was rather challenging. I sensed the potential of the film, but didn’t dare to think in such ambitious categories back then. This was an eye-opening moment when I realized that it could be possible. From there Sundance became an aspiration to pursue, and we started working towards it. This year in January Smoke Sauna Sisterhood won the Directing Award for Anna Hints at Sundance Film Festival World Documentary Competition Program and to date the film is sold to 32 territories.

project, and it received important support and developed a clear focus. With admirable determination, both the director and the producer could strive for the highest goals. For sure, the success of Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is not a matter of luck, but the result of deliberate and purposeful work. The documentary is an extremely original and deeply Estonian story, that has warmly touched almost the entire world. It is also worth mentioning director Einari Paakanen’s Karaoke Paradise – a project that also took part in the very first Ice and Fire Docs. The film was nominated for the European Film Awards after it had become a favourite in film festivals. Seven projects have been selected to take part in the training of 2023 – three documentaries from Finland (directors Oliwia Tonter, Karoliina Gröndahl, and Lauri Autere), and four full-length documentary projects either in development or in production phase from Estonia (directors Kaupo Kruusiauk, Joosep Matjus, Katri Rannastu, Laura Liventaal, and Birgit Rosenberg). One can get to know the projects and the authors during the IDFA festival in Amsterdam where they will be presented. EF

IN FOCUS

ESTONIAN FILM

Advocating for

Children’s Rights Eeva Mägi has garnered lots of recognition for her documentaries and feature shorts. This year, she is premiering two full length films in the space of a few months. By Andrei Liimets Photos by Virge Viertek

n Estonian cinema there is currently a trend of directors coming from other fields. You had a career as an attorney. Why did you want to make films?

When I was five, my cousin took me along to the cinema. I didn’t even know what cinema was. We were late when we stepped into the auditorium, people were watching The Terminator, and I was instantly in awe: my God how huge that screen is! Later, in the third grade, I was playing truant all the time to go to the cinema. I watched everything, and really liked the feeling of falling in love in my stomach that going to the cinema made me experience. I was so much into everything that took place on the screen. I saw Titanic alone 11 times, and cried every single time!

One year my mother made a fatal mistake, giving me a video camera as a present. It was very popular then; everyone was making home movies. As presents, we always gave things the whole family might need, and I guess my mother was thinking she could use the camera herself during her travels. But I grew so fond of the camera that I started making stop-motion cartoons. A calling rang inside me. The pull grew so strong I couldn’t get rid of it anymore. Yet your first career was in law?

It was a mayor dilemma. I attended an elite school, and a good education, academic credentials, and the ability to make money were very important at home. I was considering either medical school or film. I was really interested in studying the brain, so I minored in psychology. I worked in a psychiatric clinic

as a caretaker, which was a harrowing experience. I really wasn’t prepared for that, and wasn’t aware of what mental illness is. I was lucky to come away in good health myself. From then on, I decided to turn my focus to law. When did you decide to turn back to film?

I wasn’t that much into studying law, it was dry and boring. But after the clinic I didn’t want to do anything emotional, so law was safe. I went to Maastricht and focused on intellectual property – at the same time watching films I had downloaded illegally. I went to work at the European Commission in Brussels and then recognized I didn’t want to be an official or do that work. I remember sitting at a desk, working with the ACTA directive, not caring at all, googling film schools and then doing entrance exams online.

IN FOCUS

Mari and Oliver the central characters in Mägi’s tragic and moving documentary.

I focus on the characters, because if you achieve a human connection, then the story will be valuable to someone.

You studied directing documentary films. Your first shorts were documentaries, then you did short features. Now your first full length film to be premiered, Who am I Smiling For? , is again a documentary. In what form and genre do you feel most at home?

It was by chance I ended up in documentary filmmaking. My mind was in feature films, but there were no other mayors available that year. I felt I couldn’t wait any longer and had to attend film school. In my fantasy I always think about directing, and that’s how I approach documentaries as well. In that sense I’m not the classical documentarian, looking for what life and chance might bring about. Rather I start directing it myself and that’s how we ended up with a bit of a hybrid. So how much of the film is directed, and how much is just as it happened?

Usually, I come up with the ideas that go into development, but this time the subjects came to me themselves and proposed their story. It was difficult to hear, yet fascinating. For a long time, I felt myself powerless to convey the horrors that took place. What was the initial proposition?

They were in trouble. The mother, Mari, had been diagnosed with stage IV cancer and knew she had only a couple of months to live. At the same time, she was going through a divorce. The conflict had become so bad that although the courts had decided on a 50:50 custody over their daughter, the father wouldn’t give her to Mari. Mari hadn’t seen her daughter for eight months, and wasn’t sure she ever would again, so she wanted to leave behind an audio-visual memory for her.

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I suggested turning to some journalists who helped get things moving. The police forced themselves into the father’s apartment and took the daughter back to Mari. I was very interested in the brother’s perspective – Oliver was 12 and aware he would soon lose his mother while the custodial fight was going on. I mean, the things a child must face! In the end, I moved my focus onto him. They were all able to be together for two months until Mari died. One day half a year later, the father just took his daughter from the kindergarten and left Estonia. Since then, Oliver has had no contact with his sister. Supposedly she is in Tehran, because that’s where the father is from. The custody rights could have been turned over to the grandparents, but the courts just didn’t work fast enough. Was it difficult to gain the children’s trust, get the camera so close to them?

The trust built quite quickly. Mari had a

huge part to play in that, because she supported Oliver and making the film was a kind of therapy for them. Oliver was able to get out of the house with us, go to the seaside, get his thoughts off to somewhere else. How much did you think about who the target audience would be? In Italy, the film premiered at a youth film festival.

I know that’s not how you’re supposed to do things, but I never think in advance about the audience. I focus on the characters, because if you achieve a human connection, then the story will be valuable to someone. I thought a lot about the family, about Oliver and his sister, about how not to hurt them in any way. Has there been a lot of contact with the family after the completion of the film?

A lot! That’s the difference between features and documentaries. You’re knitted

er. I understand them as well, because they need to make difficult decisions, but real life can’t be secondary to the documents. Real life must be the starting point, and often the judicial system is far removed from that and has lost its willingness or its courage to face reality. It seems to me that the theme of human rights runs through all your films, be it from the perspective of women, children, or just those forgotten by society. What ignites an idea into a film for you?

Ideas come from outer space – at a moment the right idea arrives, and you must recognize it. I can’t just come up with something if I strain myself to do it. Children’s rights are something that deeply move me, but I don’t use it as a starting point – I build a relationship with people, root for them. Other topics stem from that later. together with the characters. They call me and director of photography Sten-Johan Lill their second family. Have they seen the film? How did Oliver react?

It was very difficult for him. He needed many breaks The grandparents were very grateful. Making this film, I saw how as an attorney you listen to the client and read the law, but in a way, you’re completely detached from people’s everyday lives. They come to your office, or you speak to them over the phone, but behind the court documents, reality looks very different. Judges and lawyers dealing with children’s rights really need to look clos-

It’s a great time for Estonian documentaries, especially in terms of female directors. We’ve had Smoke Sauna Sisterhood by Anna Hints, and Sundial by Liis Nimik gain a lot of recognition. What are your plans for a release?

It’s a difficult film, which makes distribution difficult as well. I tried to lighten it a bit, but the story is difficult and sad. It might be directed towards children, but in Italy it was screened at the adults’ section of a youth festival. You also have a debut feature coming up. What’s it about?

It will debut at the Black Nights Film Festival, and it’s called Mo Mamma. I wrote it based on a personal story. My grand-

mother broke her hip and knew she wouldn’t walk again. Me and my mother went to see her, and she had this completely new look in her eyes. She had made peace with passing away. It had a huge effect on me because we were very close, good friends. For some reason, I had a hysteric meltdown and laid it out on my mother, not understanding it was her mother and they had a relationship of their own. So now I directed the story of the loss of my grandmother from the perspectives of her daughter and granddaughter. We did it on a shoestring budget – started with 10,000 euros from private financing, and later got more support. One location, two actors, all departments working alone – photography, art, sound, makeup, costumes. That’s the way I prefer making films – without a large crew. It was easier to film quickly that way, I was able to explain the characters to the actors, we had time to analyse and improvise. It doesn’t follow true events that closely, it’s woven with fantasy. Let’s wrap up on a more philosophical note. In Who Am I Smiling For? there is a discussion on the afterlife between Mari and her mother. What do you think happens after death? How do you deal with your own mortality?

I have no idea what will happen, but I really liked a thought from the Spanish writer José Millás: “Sometimes it takes time for a person to realize they are already dead.” And while making one of my shorts I realized that death is not the end of life. I don’t mean my own death, which feels very final, but that when someone passes, I will carry their life on within me. EF Mo Mamma, film still

NEWS

Youth Films

from Tallifornia TALLIFORNIA is an independent production company founded by Rain Rannu (on the left) and Tõnu Hiielaid that focuses on fast-paced, fun and author-driven feature films for a global audience. In 2021 Tallifornia set up the first private film fund in Estonia that looks at projects from all over the world.

Two of Me is a comedy about twin filmmakers who are making a movie about twin filmmakers, who are trying to make a movie about twins. The comic story of self-discovery is a mix of real-life inspired events and a cinematic view of the world. Two of Me can be described as a coming-of-age film targeted at younger audiences. Twin brothers Raul and Romet Esko have been dreaming of making movies ever since their mum bought them a video camera. Their film school short Struck by Lightning won the National Competition at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF Shorts) in November 2020, and they took home the Audience Award. Two of Me is their first feature film, and the twins also wrote the script together. The cinematographer of Two of Me is Toomas Tatar, and the production designer is Paul Henrich Daude. The film is produced by Rain Rannu, Kirill Volkov, and Tõnu Hiielaid from Tallifornia; it is edited by Raul Esko and Romet Esko. The main roles are played by twin brothers Märt and Priit Pius alongside Rain Tolk, Mirtel Pohla, Reimo Sagor, Amand Hermiine Künnapas, Raul & Romet Esko, and Lil Till.

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Rolling Papers is also a coming-of-age comedy. It is written by Meel Paliale & Urmet Piiling and directed by Meel Paliale. Rolling Papers tells the story of a cashier Sebastian who works in a small village store on the outskirts of Tallinn. Suddenly he becomes friends with a wild vagabond Silo. Together they start to sell weed and dream about buying a one-way plane ticket to Brazil. “This is a film about young people who don’t know what to do with their lives,” said the film’s director, Meel Paliale. The dialogue and characters in the screenplay are based on many real-life situations and

people. “If our previous film took place in a parallel universe, then now we wanted to tell a story that captures the lives and thoughts of young people today as realistically as possible,” added the co-writer of the film Urmet Piiling. The cinematographer of the film is Markus Mikk, production designer is Jasmin Kulagina, and the producers are Rain Rannu, Tõnu Hiielaid, and Urmet Piiling. The main roles are played by Mihkel Kuusk, Karl Birnbaum, Edgar Vunsh, Maria Helena Seppik, and Ivo Uukkivi. Both films are co-financed by the Estonian Film Institute and the Tallifornia Film Fund. Rolling Papers and Two of Me will both premiere in 2024.

Merchant of Fresh Blood Tõnu Hiielaid from Tallifornia production company has become one of the most prolific Estonian producers in the past few years. By EFI Photo by Laura Oks Tõnu, you have many projects in the works simultaneously, but let’s focus on the two youth films this time. Both began shooting in summer 2023, one a debut by a duo of directors, called Two of Me, the other a debut by Meel Paliale, a director who has co-directed one feature before. Quite a risky and complicated endeavour. Please tell us more about the projects. Everything has gone smoothly. Meel Paliale and Urmet Piiling started to write the script already on the set of their co-directed feature film Tree of Eternal Love that screened at Just Film, Cottbus, and Helsinki film festivals. The debut feature of twin directors, Esko Brothers, has been in development even longer. Both teams are largely comprised of young people. We are very glad about that, and it’s great to observe how things are getting done with energy and optimism. That’s about how we envisioned it, but it seems that in real life everything looks even better than we thought. For me, these two films are very different projects from young directors. On the other hand, there is also a strong mutual element present, because the director of Rolling Papers, Meel Paliale, is also partly involved in the production of the Esko Brothers’ feature Two of Me, as a co-director. The fact that the Estonian Film Institute has supported both films – and hopefully the Cultural Endowment Fund will follow suit – has been crucial for both projects. As these are fresh and new names, please explain, what kind of filmmakers are the Esko Brothers, and who is Meel Paliale. How do you see their future in film industry? Meel Paliale and the Esko Brothers are

Tõnu Hiielaid

filmmakers of the Z Generation, who have grown up watching Cartoon Network and creating content with their cameras since childhood. Meel Paliale had completed a respectable number of short films together with Urmet Piiling by the time they graduated from high school. He took the next steps during the university years, and he did it in our Tallifornia Studios – the full-length feature film Tree of Eternal Love, co-directed with Urmet Piiling. His second film Rolling Papers will be very different already, because Meel has developed a lot as a filmmaker. Raul and Romet Esko are a singular phenomenon in Estonia. Twins who make films and undertake everything on a scale as large as possible. One of their two latest short films was an autobiographical documentary about the loss of a dear friend, and the other was the most Hollywood-esque Estonian action film Double Turbo. They don’t do things like the others do. I recommend keeping an eye on those

authors, and other Estonian filmmakers. Things are happening here! You had two youth films simultaneously shooting in summer. How did it all go, and were you able to stick to the plan? The Estonian shooting days for Esko Brothers’ film are finalized, all that is left is five more days in a country with a warmer climate. The exterior shots of Rolling Papers are done as well, interiors will largely be completed in October-November. Both films will be completed in 27 shooting days. In that respect, everything is going according to the plan. Most of the locations were situated in Tallinn, or near it. Everything is very compact here, and things go fast and smooth. As some of the locations were near my home, it has partly been especially comfortable for me! We are very happy with the material we have filmed so far. It’s been a thrill to observe two different teams working on their material at the same time. EF

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PÖFF

Photo by PÖFF

EVENT

In the Spotlight For the 27th year in a row, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has been shedding light on gloomy November. By Eliisa Pass, Heinrich Sepp, Martina Tramberg

he annual film feast continues shining as a well-curated gem in the global festival circuit with its gripping programme and ever-extending sub-festivals. This year’s concept is all about reaching towards each other, by offering contact and understanding when the silver screen comes to life. While growing rapidly in sub-proTiina Lokk

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Photo by Aron Urb

has become a springboard for the films that premiered at PÖFF: last year’s Grand Prix Winner for the Best film, Driving Mum by Hillmar Oddson has been successful worldwide. DDA SPOTLIGHT AWARD BECOMES DENNIS DAVIDSON SPOTLIGHT AWARD

The eternal qualities of cinema also reflect in the re-named Dennis Davidson Spotlight award, presented by the DDA Group, and handed out at the PÖFF Closing Ceremony. Tiina Lokk shares her joy: “Dennis has long been a friend and supporter of our festival and I am delighted we can continue this special Award in his name as Dennis Davidson. He has always had a keen eye for spotting and supporting film talents worldwide. For him, it’s never been about where you’re from or your background; it’s all about genuine talent and top-notch quality,” said Lokk. Dennis Davidson responded: “DDA was built, from its founding in 1970, way before quotas or diversity targets, on embracing all religions, sexualities, ethnicities, formal educational attainments, and social backgrounds. This continues to be the values sacrosanct to my successors. So, when Tiina created the Spotlight Award, to shine a light on meaningful filmmakers and messaging, I was delighted to be able to have a window through which to continue our long-held convictions.”

THE FIVE COMPETITION STRANDS FULL OF POWERFUL TALENT

The festival continues with 5 competitions: Official Selection, First Feature, Rebels with a Cause, Baltic Competition, and freshly introduced Critics’ Picks. Festival director and head of the programme, Tiina Lokk shares her thoughts: “As an A-class film festival, we have a limitless chance to curate our competition programmes without any regional or geographical limitations. Hence, we can focus on our deeply established values and create a high-quality Official Selection programme, full of high-quality auteur cinema and fresh ways of storytelling.” She elaborates: “These traits are especially worthy in our First Feature Compe-

tition. In that programme, we can see pure and fresh talent, unaltered by the obstacles and requirements that a filmmaker later deals with.” In PÖFF’s large repertoire, Rebels With a Cause and brand new Critics’ Picks competitions ease discovering arthouse pieces that are often overlooked in the huge programme. The curator of Critics’ Picks, Nikolaj Nikitin speaks about the programme: “One will find highly entertaining and original comedies next to psychological and historical thrillers, challenging drama, hard-boiled action, and touching love stories of all colours, as well as diversity and gender balance in the selection. This year’s thin red artistic line is the fight for personal and political independence.” Lastly, The Baltic Film Competition, curated by Edvinas Pukšta, continues to showcase the creme de la creme of last year’s Baltic cinema. A good eye for quality has paid off well: over the last few years, the festival

JUST FILM

The 23rd Youth and Children’s Film Festival Just Film has raised the stakes by

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Photo by PÖFF

grammes and admission numbers, the festival emphasizes on deepening and pursuing authentic values of cinema: high artistic quality, as well as new exciting perspectives of storytelling and problem-tackling.

PÖFF Shorts ceremonies and parties have always a special youthful vibe.

presenting over 50% more premieres compared to past years. A staggering 52 feature films are poised to grace the festival’s screen, with over 100 international guests granting an opportunity for attendees to engage with them during film screenings, where questions and discussions can follow the cinematic experiences. 11 films will be competing in the international children’s film competition programme, including the Estonian children’s film Totally Boss (director: Ingomar Vihmar). In the International Youth Film Competition programme, there are 13 films, which are evaluated not only by the youth jury but also by a three-member international jury, who will give out the Just Film Grand Prix, a grant of 3000 euros. This year’s festival will also include an international competition for juniors featuring five full-length films. The Just Film programme will bring discoveries from Australia, Canada, the United States, and Israel. Five of these films will have their world premieres, six will have their international premieres, and 23 will have their Baltic premieres. The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival’s Youth and Children’s Film Festival, Just Film, will take place from November 3rd to November 19th this year. With its audience size, Just Film has become one of Estonia’s largest events for children and youth, attracting nearly 20,000 film enthusiasts annually. PÖFF SHORTS

The Black Nights’ short film and animation festival PÖFF Shorts is dedicated to showcasing the very best fiction, anima-

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tion, and documentary shorts from across the world. With five competitions – which are Academy Award qualifying, BAFTA qualifying, and European Film Award qualifying – as well as a large selection of side programmes and retrospectives, PÖFF Shorts is an anticipated event on the festival circuit not only for the breadth and diversity of its programme but also for the talent it showcases. From campaigning to “make films short again” to the self-proclaimed “shortest award ceremony in the world”, the festival seems well attuned to the state of our attention spans. While celebrating the unique nature of the medium, PÖFF Shorts also recognises that for many bright and young filmmakers, they are also the beginning of a cinematic journey into the world of features. Always in a mood for PÖFFJavier Garcia Puerto, the curator of Rebels with a Cause Competition.

PÖFF winter swimming has become a well established tradition for film guests The Go Long initiative aims to bridge this gap, nurturing a select number of filmmakers whose shorts have screened in competition at PÖFF Shorts. Go Long offers the participants invaluable advice on their ideas via informal networking from a panel of industry professionals. The participants will then be able to better negotiate the feature film world with helpful tips and feedback on their feature proposals. The first edition of Go Long included filmmakers such as Sander Joon, Ragne Mandri, Ahmad Saleh, Barbara Lervig, and Lauri Niemelä. EF Photo by Erlend Štaub

Photo by PÖFF

Photo by Saara Mildeberg

EVENT

Photo by Janis Kokk

Navigating the Future with AI

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event programme involves more than 100 events within 5 days!

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event (I@T&BE), the busiest business platform and trade fair in Northern Europe for audiovisual industry professionals, is ready to greet its 700 international guests in the heart of Tallinn, and also online, from 13-17 November.

rope’s gaming sector from IP and AI perspectives.

On 13-14 November, professionals in drama series are welcomed at TV Beats Forum showcasing the trends and addressing themes from diversity and inclusivity to AI and social responsibility through case studies, panel discussions, and keynote addresses. The outstanding list of speakers include Gub Neal, Tac Romey, Joachim Friedmann, and Alexandre Piel.

JUST FILM INDUSTRY DAYS AND YOUTH-CENTRIC TRENDS

ARI TAN ON STRATEGIC CONTENT CREATION AND DISTRIBUTION

A new addition this year is the Just Film Industry Days, in collaboration with the Just Film Festival. It brings together youth and children’s film directors, producers, distributors, international pane lists, educators, and students. The conference, held on 14-15 November, focuses on youth and children’s film industry trends, AI, new media, film education, and filmmaking to inspire young audiences. Renowned speakers include Tania Pinto Da Cunha, Xiaojuan Zhou, Nils Andersson, Agata Darlasi, Viola Gabrielli, Julie Skaufel, and Anne Schultka, to name but a few.

On 15 November, guests will learn how shifts in the market, financing dynamics, and emerging partnerships are reshaping the landscape of the film industry with Ari Tan, a pivotal figure in global media strategy, as he unveils the core principles of strategic content creation and distribution.

By Egle Loor

his year’s five-day programme includes a comprehensive programme with 100+ events brimming with captivating presentations, lectures, workshops, and ample networking opportunities. Marge Liiske, the summit’s head, emphasizes the event’s commitment to introducing fresh and innovative topics. The program is designed to address key issues in the audiovisual sector, with a strong emphasis on Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration. Over five days, a diverse range of talks and workshops will explore AI’s various facets. Additionally, the event will discuss the transition of film and series screenwriters into the gaming industry, and explore the future of Eu-

TV BEATS FORUM: EXPLORING SERIES TRENDS

EXPLORING AI IN CINEMA: CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES

A significant highlight is the half-day event in collaboration with the European Commission on 17 November, Exploring ESTONIAN FILM

The summit in Tallinn Nordic Hotel Forum is one of the most efficient places for networking, according to the guests.

Challenges, Opportunities, and Practicalities of using AI in Cinema. It brings together AI filmmakers, content creators, visionaries, and developers to discuss generative AI’s dynamic shifts, creative possibilities, and ethical challenges.

industry through tours of filming locations in Narva and Tartu, and a conference discussing standards and training prospects for roles “below the line.”

SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE’S FILM INDUSTRY

I@T&BE is delighted to showcase the film industry of this year’s Focus countries, Serbia and its Southeast European neighbours. The lineup features numerous projects hailing from Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovenia. On 16 November, a panel discussion will present the extensive collaborative opportunities among creatives from these countries, shedding light on their unique cinematic filming environments.

I@T&BE is closely monitoring Ukraine’s war-torn film industry. A dialogue titled From Words to Action: Europe and Ukraine’s Solidarity in Film & Industry 631 Days Later aims to dissect the current state and potential trajectory of solidarity initiatives and financial aid for the Ukrainian creative and film industry. The day’s agenda also includes a captivating case study of interactive Ukrainian-Polish-US co-production Murals inspired by the works of Banksy in Ukraine, financed by the Ukrainian filmmaking fund and by the Polish Film Institute. PROJECTS, PARTNERSHIPS, LOCAL FILM INDUSTRY AND NETWORKING

I@T&BE’s film and series market will present over 60 projects in various categories. Script Pool, European Genre Forum, TV Beats Co-Financing Market, and MIDPOINT Series Launch, Baltic Event Co-Production Market, and Works in Progress will showcase projects seeking partners in various categories, leading to hundreds of one-on-one meetings throughout the week. “Effective networking opportunities are among the most valued aspects of I@T&BE, according to our guests’ feedback. We do our best to keep the networking-friendly atmosphere besides the diverse programme,” says Liiske. Attendees can explore the local film

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SPOTLIGHT ON SERBIA AND SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURS

SUPPORTING YOUNG TALENT

This year, Black Nights Discovery Campus is taking the next step in highlighting young talents and helping them to navigate their way into the international film industry. The international educational

program returns on 14-17 November with a revamped format. While retaining its existing programs, a cutting-edge sub-program titled Frame Within a Frame is introduced. Catering primarily to cinematographers, this program encompasses the “Camera, Workflow & Creativity” workshop led by the distinguished cinematographer and digital imaging supervisor Philippe Ros, of the renowned AFC (French Association of Cinematographers). Music Meets Film marks its 11th edition with a refreshed focus on emerging talent while remaining a pivotal rendezvous for film and film music professionals to expand their network. One of this year’s masterclasses will be led by the acclaimed composer John Altman, who will do a case study of his Emmy-winning score in the film RKO 281 (1999). Discovery Campus includes Black Nights Stars for young actors and actresses presenting eight promising talents from the Baltic Sea region, Black Room for production designers, with a masterclass course by Kave Quinn and Script Pool compiled for up-and-coming directors, scriptwriters, and producers. To check out the talents you should watch in the future, visit the industry.poff.ee site. Other I@T&BE initiatives for young guests include Launchpad for junior professionals in distribution in collaboration with four other film festivals: Go Long for short filmmakers, Breaking into the Industry for junior producers, CresCine Novel Theory, and Evidence Training for first or second-time film producers, and more. The complete programme of I@TBE with over 100 events, online and onsite, is available at industry.poff.ee EF

A trip to discover Narva was one of the highlights of the programme in 2022.

Photo by Raul Mee

Photo by PÖFF

EVENT

PRODUCER

Enchanted by theOnBig the Diversity Screen of Filmmaking During summer 2023, Adeele Tähemaa, one of the producers of Taska Film, completed the shooting of the psychological drama Life and Love (dir. Helen Takkin) based on the Estonian literary classic.

By Aurelia Aasa Photos by Virge Viertek

hen we meet for the interview, Adeele has earlier that day been on the set of Klaus Härö’s Never Alone. Two days later she is on stage at the premiere of Estonian comedy Faulty Brides (dir. Ergo Kuld). We are going to talk about how she manages such a busy schedule. Adeele, let’s start from the beginning. How did you get involved with film production?

It was when I was still studying philology at university, and I was working on my graduation thesis. I heard that some film crew was looking for someone who a) would be available on certain dates, b) possesses a driving licence, and c) is a normal person in general. In my opinion, I had all three criteria fulfilled and I applied for the position. Later it turned out that the film was Class Reunion, produced by Taska Film. Afterwards Kristian Taska, the head of Taska Film, invited me to work for them, and I have been there ever since. Taska Film is an interesting phenomenon in Estonian culture since it almost unexceptionally focuses on producing domestic blockbusters. Do you feel bothered by movies classified into blockbusters and arthouse films?

Films produced by Taska are certainly addressed to wider audiences; however, I like the fact that people go to see these films, the audience really shows an interest. I enjoy the balance that Kristian Taska has found

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during his career – yes, he produces blockbusters, but these also have strong artistic value. I remember when I realized that the production company behind Names in Marble (2002) is Taska Film. This was my favourite film when I was young, and for a moment I was quite star-struck. Before my first time on a film set, I did not actually realize that working in the field of film was a possibility for me, that it is a profession. My mother is educated as a conductor, but she has worked as a teacher, and in fact my father is also a jack of all trades and has done a million different jobs. I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. Life has randomly led me to some exciting places. Taska’s films are often based on weighty literary works – we have the Melchior the Apothecary series based on the novels by popular Estonian writer Indrek Hargla; Names on Marble based on the novel by Albert Kivikas; and Life and Love based on Anton Hansen Tammsaare’s classic, your latest film project. Is this one of the formulas behind a successful Estonian blockbuster?

Absolutely, because these films already have their specific audience. At the beginning of this year, Fools of Fame premiered, and Faulty Brides is running in cinemas today – both films are based on texts that are well known in Estonia. But in my opinion, it is cool when old works are being rediscovered, because these have completely been disregarded by my own generation. Yeah, I know – when someone says “Fools of Fame” or

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“Faulty Brides” then it sounds very familiar as these have been produced for the screen before, but we have not grown up with the same ardent feelings that the older generation has related to these productions. Regarding this, it feels so cool to keep these texts alive. If the audience will welcome it, this certainly proves that we have done something right.

Romantic drama Life and Love is set in the mid1930s. The main role of Irma is played by Karolin Jürise.

The trilogy of Melchior the Apothecary is one of the most challenging Estonian film projects during the past few years. You had to create medieval Tallinn during the filming. Was that the most complicated part of the filming phase?

The first thing that comes to mind is still COVID-19. We were in the middle of pre-production in the spring of 2020 and no one knew what was happening in the world. When the lockdown began, we were in the middle of the busiest period of casting and location confirmation. Castings were saved by the fact that Elmo Nüganen was the director, and he luckily knows all Estonian actors; and we also discovered ways for video casting and zoom meetings just like the rest of the world. In addition to Estonia, a considerable part of Melchior was shot in Latvia, and there was a fear during filming that the borders might close. In the autumn there was also the risk that the Baltic bubble would burst, and we wouldn’t be able to bring Estonian actors across the Latvian border. But we were lucky with Melchior all the time and we managed to finish the five months of shooting as planned.

Klaus Häro’s Never Alone follows the deportation from Finland of eight Austrian-Jewish refugees by the Gestapo during World War II. The film is a FinlandEstoniaSweden-Germany-Austria co-production.

The filming phase of the debut feature Life and Love directed by Helen Takkin was completed this summer. How did this go?

The focus in Anton Hansen Tammsaare’s “Life and Love” lies in the love story between Rudolf and Irma, but we also introduced two other characters who remained in the background in the book – so the film centres on the relationship dynamics of these four people. The period of filming was extremely short – only 18 days. The editing is done by now and we are working on sound and picture post. It was a great experience to collaborate with the director Helen Takkin, since she is extremely thorough and a visionary film director. She also has the advantage of having a Photo Andres Teiss

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strong creative team with her – cinematographer Alvar Kõue, and production designer Kamilla Kase. How important is the modernization of old stories for you? Does a hundred-year-old story need any changes at all?

For instance, with Life and Love the film is set in the mid-1930s, and many of the themes that were relevant then still resonate today. Love, relationships, power dynamics, and toxic behaviour patterns are somewhat timeless topics that people care about both in Estonia and the rest of the world. What I like about it, is that our actions are set in the mid-1930s, but we are viewing these events from today’s perspective. At the end of the story, we won’t condemn anyone – the audience can draw their own conclusions, and I am really looking forward to seeing which conclusions there will be. How does Taska Film operate in general? Do you come up with ideas yourselves and introduce these to the directors, or do they come to you with theirs?

We’ve had quite a few instances where we have projects in mind and then we look for directors. Even with Life and Love, it was really great that Helen joined the team, and she has given the project a really unique touch. After all, Tammsaare wrote this story from a male perspective, and now we have a female director

an tour, together with Johanna-Maria Paulson who is a producer in Stellar Film. We started in Berlin in February, followed by the Cannes film festival in May, and Locarno film festival in August. The entire year was a fantastic experience, and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. What made it special was the fact that instead of just one venue we could visit several events, each with its unique character. I would highlight Locarno, that was very well curated and addressed specifically to young producers. We had our days filled with meetings and lectures. It was also a great opportunity for creating new connections, presenting our projects, and to simply make friends. What’s next?

and co-writer who have approached it with a slightly different focus. Even this morning we first met on the film set. It seems that you have quite a crazy schedule. Would you mind sharing your daily or yearly plan? What are your days like?

This year is quite hectic because we have three projects in production simultaneously. The filming of Life and Love took place this summer, and currently we have two feature films in production: Jaak Kilmi’s The Shadow, and the collaboration project with Finland Never Alone, that is directed by Klaus Häro. Both films were supposed to go into production last year, and both got postponed. But this means that last year was the first year we had no shooting at all. Even if we were busy with all kinds of things it felt really strange. However, producing three films a year is a bit too much, unless we can expand our team.

The plan is to finish these three films, they will all be released throughout 2024. The historical feature Land of Mary is currently in the development phase. Next year we’re planning on going into production with the feature Dirt in Your Face, based on the auto-biographical novel by Mihkel Raud, an Estonian musician and writer. EF

Being a producer can be quite stressful – you are constantly preoccupied with projects; the schedule is tight. Do you ever feel overwhelmed?

To be honest, after finishing one especially challenging project, I did have this feeling of, “What am I doing? Is this really necessary?” But then the feeling passed, and my motivation was back to the max. What is really appealing in the film industry is its diversity. It’s a project-based job, and with each film you start from the beginning. With every new project I ask, “Have I ever worked with a film before?” since each time we have a new screenplay, team members interacting in a different way, etc. Then everything falls into place, and if the team functions well then the process is really enjoyable. Honestly, with the films of lower budgets it’s much more difficult since I must take on multiple roles myself. And on the other hand, working with a small team is also really nice because we stick together in both good and tough times. Last year, the Berlinale film market focused on the Baltic States. You were one of the producers who was introduced there. What did you gain from the experience?

Yes, the Estonian Film Institute sent me on a EuropeESTONIAN FILM

ANIMA

Photo by Kerttu Ilmjärv

Idyll

Orwell & Huxley Meet in Tallinn T Peep Pedmanson, Animation Film Commissioner of Estonian Film Institute, introduces two new Estonian animated films – Antipolis by Kaspar Jancis, and Idyll by Rao Heidmets. By Peep Pedmanson

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hroughout history, great thinkers have attempted to explain the world and describe various visions of the future. Some have become more popular than others, and two big narratives became dominant in the 20th Century: The George Orwell version and the Aldous Huxley one. Orwell’s “1984” describes a dystopia where the governing system has subjugated the society, manipulating and controlling it completely. The establishment has total power, it prescribes the correct thoughts and words to all the citizens. History is being rewritten constantly, according to the ideology of the day, to shape the mentality of the masses. Everything is “safe”, cameras and microphones are

everywhere. People live under constant fear of making a mistake, because the right choices are obvious only to the government. The result is peoples’ complete submission to power. Huxley’s “Brave New World” depicts a society that has been subjected to the obligation of creating the feelings of well-being. Everyone has got to feel happy, there must be no conflicts. Life is strictly regulated, and pharmacology keeps emotions under control. People are constantly encouraged to consume, have fun, and seek physical gratification, mental lethargy is in favour. As a result, people who are following the collective standards blindly have lost all humanity. Although these two visions seem contradictory at first, time has been tell-

Antipolis

ing us that these two narratives fit together perfectly, and can complement each other. Slave properly in Orwell’s world and you might earn a trip to Huxley’s resort, and vice versa: resist the complete degeneration of Huxley and you might get a chance to experience Orwell’s strict regime.

Antipolis Team

Photo by Nukufilm

THE MODERN AGE AND DYSTOPIA

The years 2023 and 2024 are about to present two Estonian animated films that both speak of the Modern age, but rely strongly on the mentioned theories in doing so. And although we take a closer look at their content in this article here, it must be emphasized that both films also exhibit an intriguing visual style that helps the content to emerge. Kaspar Jancis’ Antipolis shows us the world where the dynamics of shadow and light, or mass and movement, are in correct correlation, with the design being realistic, even hyper-realistic. The hierarchy and motives of the characters are comprehensible. All of this enables us to get into the story and exercise our empathy towards the characters easily. As the narrative is quite linear and the characters resolved in a farcical manner, the film is easy to approach and get into. The result feels like a recognizable crooked mirror reflection of the modern day: we have encountered the motive presented here in our everyday life. We see an eschatological world in desert tones. It could be some typical mining town from our collective recent past, where all the existing substancia blu – a mineral resource promising a brighter future – has been mined out to be used in solar and electric car batteries. The last blue shard falls into the wagon and then ESTONIAN FILM

ANIMA ANTIPOLIS Screenwriter, director, production designer and music composer Kaspar Jancis (1975). Cinema tographer Ragnar Neljandi (Nukufilm, 2023)

things start to happen. It becomes evident that the whole busy structure is a dead circle, where the carrot and stick terror has only worked due to wasting resources saved by previous generations. This enables the governing elite to prosper on the throne, not creating any new value. CAPITALISM AND EMOTIONS

The characters are mainly miners in numbered shirts, reminding us of a sports team, submitted to a larger pattern. Only the character number zero can display some emotional individuality. Some critics have described Antipolis as the curse of capitalism. I cannot quite agree with that, because the individual entrepreneurship characteristic of capitalism has been eradicated in this world. What’s left is more like corporate political tyranny that has exhausted all resources, mineral and human. The latter being deprived of both financial means and the ability to think. The elite is just as dull, only able to repeat one phrase: “No problemos”. The advantage of the dullness of the administration compared to the dullness of the masses is a very traditional one. The violent muscle, here is in the shape of a large, trained monkey. The most important player in this symbolist drama is the transcendental

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reduced to the bare minimum – mom, dad and the child –, the domestic work is done by a maid. She sets the table, cleans, feeds the fish in the aquarium, and the parrot, changes the baby’s diapers, puts a cleansing cucumber mask on the face of the lady, and takes all sorts of other good care of her beauty. In a similar manner to the wife, the husband fills his free time with personal self-improvement: he is solving a large puzzle and takes care of the choice of mu-

giant slumbering in the ground, and swallowing everything that Antipolis can dig up. To put it bluntly: the whole Antipolis work camp has been established with one noble cause in mind: to feed the giant. The is the classical Moloch motive from Ancient Greece: the greedy giant ready to gobble up everything that the masses will sacrifice, and can take the shape of the proletariat, communism, climate, the planet, the virus, the galaxy, etc. When the food (blue substance) runs out, so does the deceptive dream of future blue skies. The author proposes an antidote that could save us from the described totalitarianism: sincere emotions. There are two of those in the film: vindictiveness and self-sacrificing love. AN IRONIC LOOK AT HEDONIST VALUES

While the public in Antipolis is being served work, bread and circuses as the essence of life, Idyll by Rao Heidmets is more refined. Here, the meaning of life consists of cake, TV gameshows, debilitating media and hedonist loitering. Idyll, shot in mixed technique, is currently in the production phase, which is why we can mostly talk about it here on the basis of the script. Idyll takes place in an eclectically designed apartment filled with kitschy luxury. Although the family living there is

Photo by Rao Heidmets

Photo by Nukufilm

How can an artist be sure that he or she has maintained ideological immunity and neutrality? Kaspar Jancis: I cannot answer for the other artists, although you can see ideologically charged artworks very often. When the themes veer into ideology, I try to respect the freedom of having different opinions. I think I am free, but freedom is, according to Spinoza, only conscious necessity. I try not to assume the position of an “objective knowit-all”. I try to find interesting allegories that would provide tension in the story, but using allegories can be like skating on thin ice. Some meanings in the film became much more significant due to the current political situation. In Antipolis, I tried to trick the viewer into thinking that they are down for a sermon, but the story obtains new dimensions along the way and becomes broader than that.

The DoP of Idyll Urmas Jõemees

IT’S ALL A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

The father and mother work to suppress their genuine humanity by force, not to become at odds with the fake values of the society and not to lose the social “likes”. Otherwise, they would experience stress, depression and burnout. As such, they enact a tragicomical farce for us viewers, but it is rather more vacuous than the one in Antipolis.

At one point, idyll is disrupted by the X-factor, and nothing is the same afterwards. Self-centred hedonism is truly being tested here. Both films describe our Modern age and its main concerns. On the one hand, submitting to brainwashing and accepting the stick, when the carrot is promised as an award. On the other hand, succumbing to hedonism and a spineless surrender to the cliches of the masses. These choices are not mutually exclusive and can co-exist nicely in everyday life, but as the authors of the films in question show us: both choices come at a heavy price. After the great collapse, we can feel lighter and cleaner at least for a little while. An interesting nuance emerges in connection with such themes. When art, film for instance, explores a socially relevant topic, the reception presumes it’s obvious that the author should be able or willing to handle the matter from some objective point of view – as an analyst looking at the matter at hand from the outside; from the all-knowing zoom-out angle. And the artists themselves sign up for that attitude as well, embracing the role of a neutral know-it-all, explaining the film in the media, etc. Sometimes it is justified. And sometimes the content of the artwork is not much different from the dominant ideology in society, because the author, who is a 100% participant in society, lives under the influence of the same social narratives as their characters. EF

IDYLL Screenwriter and director Rao Heidmets (1956), production designer Marge Martin, cinemato grapher Urmas Jõemees, composer Sven Grünberg. (Rao Heidmetsa Filmistuudio, 2024) How can an artist be sure that he or she has maintained ideological immunity and neutrality? Rao Heidmets: Despite an idyllic beginning, the topic of my film is war. When you are in danger of losing your homeland and spending the rest of your life wandering foreign lands, it is easy to pick a side. No ideological explanation can convince you that it was all necessary for something. In the case of war, it is very easy to distinguish between good and evil. I believe that every state and their citizens take the right action instinctively, including journalists, artists, politicians, welders, taxi drivers, fishermen, etc. Photo by Kerttu Ilmjärv

sic, so that the right mood would prevail in the apartment. Idyll has got to be perfect. As in Antipolis, the world of this story is characterised by a high density of allegory, with every motive sounding a bit familiar. Contrary to Jancis, Heidmets places a strong filter of irony between the film and the viewer, meaning that at first, we watch the proceedings with curiosity rather than empathy. It is thus unavoidable that it is the parrot who emerges as the main character in the film. The one-eyed and one-legged bird invokes the spirit of old pirates. We sense in it the legendary past that we ourselves are incapable of achieving. And because the bird is no softie, it feels out of place in the apartment. It seems to be the only one with any real life – the one not based on social stereotypes, but the one including actual choices. Never mind that this life manifests itself as pining for a foreign bird singing behind the window. It’s still something. Psychologically speaking, the parrot is the most “human” of the flat’s inhabitants. It’s genuine.

ESTONIAN FILM

EDUCATION

DREAMS BLOCKBUSTERS WHERE TURN INTO

In the bustling heart of Tallinn, Estonia, lies a haven for creative minds, a place where innovation and storytelling converge to shape the future of film and media arts.

By Liisa Lahtmets, BFM Photos by BFM and BFM students

ounded in 2005, the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School of Tallinn University (BFM) has become a highly valued film and media school locally and on an international level. The school is a proud member of the European uni-

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versities alliance FilmEU, further solidifying its position on the global stage. What is the secret behind the success and attention- a dynamic and modern environment, combined theoretical and practical study programmes, including research based on industry needs and

Birgit Vilgats, the Director of BFM

supporting policy shaping, or something else? Birgit Vilgats, the Director of BFM believes that the secret lies somewhere in between. “Our students are eager to learn, and a creative environment undoubtedly encourages them to explore and innovate. BFM dedicated lecturers place a strong emphasis on cross-disciplinary cooperation between the programmes, which expects the students and lecturers to look beyond their own fields to better understand the artist. In turn, this approach results in interdisciplinary projects,” says Vilgats and adds that a good example of such collaboration is seen in dance films, a joint effort between BFM choreography and Kino Eyes film students. INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Out of 7,000 Tallinn University students, BFM is home to over 800, including about 300 international students from more than 50 countries. In addition to students, there are over 2,000 people participating each year in BFM’s professional training programmes. The school offers 16 study programmes at BA, MA and PhD level, of which seven are taught

in English by BFM’s internationally recognized researchers and practitioners, in their respective fields. The school has over 60 partner universities all over the world. Joined with Film and Media Arts European Universities alliance FilmEU in 2022, BFM with eight partner universities is moving towards a bigger objective to jointly promote high-level education, innovation, research and creative activities in the multidisciplinary field, supported by EU funding. “After joining FilmEU, we have participated in several activities that sup-

port our research, studies, and knowledge transfer. It can be said that FilmEU and its successor FilmEU+ are an “engine” to better link university and societal interests, and to enhance collaborative university initiatives,” states Tõnu Viik, the Rector of Tallinn University. He also adds that the alliance offers universities the opportunity to learn from, and build on the best practices of others, and export the knowledge every school is best at. The ultimate goal is to develop a European University that will be able to confer degrees jointly with FilmEU alliance universities. FROM CLASSROOMS TO RED CARPETS

BFM isn’t confined to the four walls of a classroom: it’s a hub for innovation, creativity, and practicality. With the school’s main focus on film and media studies, BFM students organise their own film festival known as BOB (Best of BFM). Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, BOB serves as a great example of a student-led gala event that gains attention within and beyond the school, and is a good kickstart for future talents. My Dear Corpses (2020) directed by German Golub gained success at BOB by winning the Best Director and Best Supporting Actor awards. Golub’s short film did not ESTONIAN FILM

EDUCATION Ulrike Rohn, Professor of Media Management and Economics at BFM

stop there, and won the first prize in its category at the 2020 Student Oscars during the Student Academy Awards. Tallinn is home to the prestigious PÖFF Black Nights Film Festival. Over the years, BFM students have actively participated in local film festival as team members, interns, and volunteers; and have presented their own films in its programmes. It is important to mention that in recent years, both current and former BFM students have received recognition and awards on the international stage. In 2020, the Eskobros (Raul & Romet Esko) won the Best Short award at the PÖFF Shorts National Competition with Struck by Lightning, and a year later, Teresa Juksaar claimed the title for Best Short Film with her work The King. Notably, the winner of last year’s PÖFF Grand Prix, Driving Mum, was co-produced by Marianne Ostrat, a BFM graduate and current guest lecturer. In 2022, BFM student films participated in 40 film festivals in total. WHY STUDY AT BFM?

BFM’s focus is on professional hands-on training and research designed for international careers in the world’s rapidly growing audio-visual and media industry. “New technological developments and possibilities, changing user and audience behaviour, and changing regulatory frameworks call for up to date but also indepth understanding of the field. In contrast to media and creative practice, academic research can focus on researching, analysing, and reflecting on developments and their significance for individuals, the industry, and society,” comments Ulrike Rohn, Professor of Media Man-

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agement and Economics at BFM on industry engagement. One of the examples she highlights is the project launched last year, an AI tool designed to measure the balance of Estonian media. Situated in two out of the six buildings on the Tallinn University campus, BFM is also home to a modern Production Centre. With video, sound, and post-production equipment, 4K cinema hall, studio spaces for TV, film, sound and much more - all freely available to students - it can be asserted without exaggeration that movies come to life within these walls. Such a favourable environment led to the creation of over 1,000 audio-visual student works last year, establishing BFM as the largest production house in Estonia. BFM’s main study subjects are film, media, music, art, and dance. Programmes taught in English are Audio-visual Media (BA), Crossmedia (BA), Communication Management (MA), Documentary Film (MA), Screen Media and Innovation (MA), KinoEyes Fiction

Film (MA) - a joint programme between four European film schools -, and Audio-visual Arts and Media Studies (PhD). To promote continuing education, BFM launched Microdegree programmes in 2022 to give participants a new set of competences in a narrow field. In addition to international lecturers, BFM regularly hosts guest lecturers and top practitioners from around the world to inspire students and provide them with the best knowledge from BFM. Why study at BFM? “BFM is the place in Estonia to study all this. No other place in Estonia offers this. And it is the place to study all this in the region, with English-language study programs that attract not only students from the Baltic and Nordic region but from all over the world,” concludes Rohn. EF

ESTONIAN FILM

FUNDS

How to Find Money in Estonia If you want to make your film with Estonian partners, these are the film funds ready to finance your project. By EFI

ESTONIAN FILM INSTITUTE PROGRAMMES FOR FILM PRODUCTION MAJORITY CO-PRODUCTION Budget 2024: € 6,400,000 • Financing for an Estonian co-produ cer the maximum subsidy is € 800,000 • Subsidy of up to 70% of the budget • 50% of the subsidy must be spent in Estonia • Two application deadlines: April 30 and December 10, 2024 MINORITY CO-PRODUCTION Budget 2024: € 600,000 • For producers from all over the world. Participation of an Estonian co-producer is necessary. Bilateral treaty not necessary • Maximum subsidy for an Estonian co-producer: feature film and feature animation € 200,000; documentary € 60,000 • Subsidy of up to 70% of the Estonian part of the budget • 100% of the subsidy must be spent in Estonia • Estonian creative and production related participation in a project should meet the requirements of minority co-production grading table • Two application deadlines: March 19 and October 15, 2024 • Decision in 40 days

ESTONIAN FILM

FILM ESTONIA CASH REBATE Budget 2024: € 6,000,000 Film Estonia cash rebate is a production incentive supporting the incoming production of feature films, feature documentaries, animation films, animation series, high-end TV-drama and the post-production of all previously mentioned works. An application can be made for international production service or co-production to receive a cash rebate up to 30% on eligible production costs. • Support intensity – 20%–30% of eligible costs • Deadlines – open call • Applicant – company registered in Estonia • Recipient – foreign company • Decision – in 30 days • Auditing and payment – in 40 days The scheme is open for: • feature films with a budget of at least € 1 million; minimum local spend € 200,000

• feature documentary with a budget of at least € 200,000; minimum local spend € 70,000 • animation with a budget of at least € 250,000; minimum local spend € 70,000 • animation series with a budget of at least € 500,000; minimum local spend € 70,000 per series • high-end TV-drama with a budget of at least € 200,000 per single episode; minimum local spend € 70,000 per series • post-production; minimum local spend € 30,000 Recently supported films include: Tenet (GB/US), Memory of Water (FI), The Burial (GB), Kill the Child (US), Besa 2 (RS) CONTACT: Nele Paves, Film Commissioner nele@filmi.ee filmestonia.eu

TALLINN IDAVIRUMAA

REGIONAL FILM FUNDS TARTU FILM FUND Type of fund: regional, incentive / cash rebate • • •

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Budget 2024: € 150,000 Support intensity: up to 30% Objective: production of an audiovisual work in Tartu and the region of South-Estonia Support for the production of feature films, animations, tv-series, documentaries, short films Participation of an Estonian production company is necessary Two application deadlines: in Spring and in Autumn

PÄRNU COUNTY SAAREMAA

PÄRNU

VIRU FILM FUND Type of fund: regional, incentive / cash rebate

Recently supported films: Omerta 6/12 • Budget 2023: € 170,000 (FI/EE), Erna at War (EE/DK/BE /EE), Dawn • Support intensity: up to 40% of War (EE/FI/LV/LT), Where the Heart Is (EE), • Objective: production of an audiovisual Melchior the Apothecary (EE/LV/LT/DE) work in the Eastern region of Estonia. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (EE/FR/IS) • Support for the production of feature films, documentaries, TV-series, short CONTACT: films, music videos fund@tartufilmfund.ee • Participation of an Estonian production tartufilmfund.ee company is necessary • No deadlines, applications are PÄRNU COUNTY FILM FUND accepted from February 10 to Type of fund: regional incentive / October 31 cash rebate • • •

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• •

Budget 2023: € 70,000 Support intensity: up to 25% Objective: production of an audiovisual work in the Pärnu County (except Kihnu municipality). Support for the production of feature films, animations, documentaries, short films Participation of an Estonian production company is necessary No deadlines CONTACT: Association of Local Authorities of Pärnu County pol@pol.parnumaa.ee parnumaa.ee/en/film-fund

Travel fast. With an area of just 45,227 km2 all corners of the country are only a couple of hours away There’s space. Estonia is one of Europe’s least crowded countries It’s green. 52 % of the country is forest,

Recently supported films: Melchior the Apothecary (EE/LV/LT/DE), Omerta 6/12 (FI/EE), Dawn of War (EE/FI/LV/LT), Eternal Road (FI/SE/EE), Mihkel (IS/NO/EE), Mother (EE), Erik Stoneheart (EE/LU/LT/FI/LV/UA) CONTACT: Piia Tamm piia.tamm@ivek.ee vff.ee

TARTU

• Support for the production of feature films, animations, tv-series, documentaries, short films and film education • Participation of an Estonian production company is necessary • No deadlines Supported films: Melchior the Apothecary (EE/LV/DE), The Vacationers (EE) CONTACT: Saaremaa Development Centre +372 452 0570 / filmifond@sasak.ee minusaaremaa.ee/en/projects/ film-fund-estonian-islands

THE CULTURAL ENDOWMENT OF ESTONIA Public agency that supports culture, including audiovisual art, and sport. MAJORITY CO-PRODUCTION Financing for an Estonian co-producer the maximum subsidy is € 200,000.

FILM FUND OF ESTONIAN ISLANDS Type of fund: regional, incentive / cash rebate • Budget 2023: € 27,705 • Support intensity: According to the project • Objective: production of an audiovisual work on the islands of Saare County

MINORITY CO- PRODUCTION • Participation of Estonian co-producer is necessary • Financing for an Estonian co-producer the maximum subsidy is € 100,000 • There are four application deadlines: February 20, May 20, August 20 and November 20

making it one of Europe’s greenest countries Endless summer light. Due to its northern location, Estonia experiences the summertime “White Nights” phenomena, when the sun sets late and the night is dusk at most.

Lots of islands. 2,222 islands and islets Period-friendly architecture. Medieval old towns, 1000 castles and manors dating back as far as the 13th century. Architecture from Stalinist classicism and soviet modernism.

ESTONIAN FILM

REVIEW

in the Film Business

Child Machine, a science fiction feature based on the theme of AI and set in a bog, is the fourth feature produced by Tallifornia, and the third feature for Rain Rannu - the founder of the production company - as the director.

Child Machine By Aurelia Aasa First published in Edasi -year-old girl Alex (performed by Anna Elisabeth Leetmäe) is on a vacation with her parents in order to have a break from smart devices. She wanders away along a bog path and encounters an AI-startup in a

ESTONIAN FILM

former Soviet bunker. An unsuccessful filmmaker Marion (performed by Johann Urb who has collaborated with director in his earlier films) roams along the dim corridors of the bunker aiming at conquering Hollywood with the help of artificial intelligence. The business genius wearing a divine white outfit is in the bunker together with Tauno, a chain-smoking IT-guy (Priit Pius), grumpy father and film critic (Toomas Urb), malicious Priscilla (Yulin Ng), and the cleaning robot uQ 3000 - looking like the cute robot from Wall-E. At least in the beginning, everyone in the bunker has one and the same mission – to develop AI to the extent that it would guide them in the making of a Hollywood blockbuster.

Ink Big! The critics have done their job

Even though the potential dangers of technology have always belonged to the framework of science fiction, ChatGPT and the extensive strikes of Hollywood screenwriters have created a fertile ground for this film. When during the era of dystopian cyberpunk (Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, The Matrix) the phenomenon of future seemed to be a real category of science fiction; then the sci-fi of the 2000s can be characterized by the moral issues related to AI (Ex Machina, Her). Concerns about the misuse of AI are also reflected in Child Machine where the people discuss the future (or present?) of the film industry. The diligent garbage robot also introduces another favourite theme in contemporary sci-fi features – the environmental crisis. And since

every proper sci-fi film also hosts heartfelt dramas, ambitiousness and neo-capitalist dreams, then all of this is also present here. So it can be said that Estonians have cooked up a solid American sci-fi feature. INFLUENCED BY AMERICAN INDIE

There are numerous influences from American indie films both in the mechanisms of the Tallifornia production company as well as in Rannu’s efforts as a filmmaker. Rannu proved this already with his debut feature American Summer, that was made using the guerrilla technique. And today the production company has stuck to the mentality of its early years of activity – things are made with small teams and low(er) budgets if necessary. Undoubtedly this influences the general mood in Child Machine as well – one should not expect epic qualities of Star Wars or Space Odyssey in Child Machine. And yet, the majority of the special effects in the film have been AI-generated. It is paradoxical that using AI in the field of animation may cause trouble (for instance, some festivals don’t accept animation films created with AI, etc.). However, Tallifornia presents an example how the arrival of AI gives an opportunity for making sci-fi films for those production companies and film studios whose budgets do not include millions for special effects. It is somehow even

Johann Urb plays an unsuccessful filmmaker who is dreaming of conquering Hollywood with the help of artificial intelligence.

ironic that the feature about AI by Rannu has probably been made largely thanks to the development of AI (considering its short production period and low budget). Child Machine creates an intriguing combination, since on one hand the feature can be (still?) classified as a classic sci-fi feature. On the other hand, Rannu has not lost connection to the substantial themes of his films. Indeed, the focus in Child Machine is on an AI equipped with a higher IQ than humans – and yet, similar to other films by Rannu, the constructive power lies in the start-up entrepreneurs, lessons of misfortune and the ‘fake-it-til-you-make-it’ mentality. What comes to mind first is one dreaming about a downpour of dollars in America just like in American Summer and Chasing Unicorns, despite the fact that Child Machine is set in a deserted underground bunker. There are other allusions to California such as Palo Alto and Venice Beach. But it is not as glamorous as it looks – even if there is the logo of Cannes Film Festival on the black sweater worn by a film critic who has been taken to the bunker, the crowd still has to watch AI-generat-

ed average feature films while eating their late-night protein bars. Child Machine is a strange amalgamation of Estonian-American influences. The English language, common to any multicultural start-up environment, can be heard in the film, spoken with a Finno-Ugric accent by the head of the volunteers (Ivo Uukkivi), who has been sent to search for Alex. The scenes taken by the drone flowing above the bog landscape have been accentuated by the traditional Estonian piece of music “Saaremaa Waltz”. Perhaps instead of focusing on a particular feature film by Rannu it is much more intriguing to view his films as an ensemble, especially because these can be treated as a unique trilogy, despite different storylines and genres. First comes the door-to-door book sales, followed by the unfortunate pursuit of happiness in Silicon Valley, and then AI with the potential to turn everything that has existed in the past into nonsense. Rannu’s next project is going to be a feature film about cryptocurrency – so everything makes sense. There is only the question: in which direction is he going to ride next?. EF

The focus in Child Machine is on an AI equipped with a higher IQ than humans. ESTONIAN FILM

REVIEW

Pain

Sweated Out

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood by Anna Hints doesn’t just meet the expectations that have been hyped up during the preceding months, but exceeds them effortlessly.

ocumentary films usually come and go without garnering the kind of attention usually reserved for feature films. Not Smoke Sauna Sisterhood. Getting selected to the Sundance program generated a lot of buzz in cultural circles already, but the director’s award is a feat that has only been matched by a handful of Estonian films. Success experienced across the big pond probably brings two questions to mind: what’s all the fuss about, and has Smoke Sauna Sisterhood really deserved it? BODIES AND AWKWARDNESS

The idea is as simple as it gets, given away already by the title (originally in Southern Estonian dialect): Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is a

ESTONIAN FILM

Ink Big! The critics have done their job

film about women in the sauna. Specifically, about long ceremonial gatherings on the sweating bench, where women share their joys and sorrows, discuss questions that life has put before them, and purify their bodies and minds. Even more specifically, it all takes place in a Southern Estonian smoke sauna, and the smoke sauna traditions and customs have been added to the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage List. Besides whisking (hitting yourself with a bunch of whisks) in the sauna, women talk – there is even an old Estonian saying about unsourced gossip: “women told me in the sauna”. Instead of caricature, we are presented with humans made of flesh and bone, and instead of idle gossip deep inner reflections.

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood By Andrei Liimets First published in Eesti Päevaleht Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is by no means a standard talking heads documentary. Most of the time,

what we see on the screen is not heads and faces but bodies, naked female bodies. Nudity sells, they say, but there is nothing exploitative or sexualized about their depiction here. On the contrary: a caring and secure space is created, where the subjects can allow themselves to be taken to a state of utmost vulnerability. Where both physical and mental scars are allowed to become exposed. It takes remarkable courage and candour from them – during the seven-year shooting period, a few decided to expose their faces and names, others preferred to remain just voices and bodies. The necessity to take everyone’s autonomy (and sometimes anonymity) into consideration hasn’t become the film’s weakness, but has proven to be its strength. In a parallel universe somewhere, there is probably a version of Smoke Sauna Sisterhood just as strong, where no faces are shown on the screen. Call it self-defence. The film forces both the central characters of the film and the audi-

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood forces both the spectators and the audience to exit their comfort zones.

ence to exit their comfort zones. It is evidently difficult to share as well as receive stories that are so personal. While physical nakedness is not a taboo per se, it can cause awkwardness and discomfort in many. Especially when, instead of representing Cosmopolitan’s unrealistic beauty standards, menstruation is discussed openly. On the other hand, strong emphasis on physicality deprives the viewer of a means to judge or rely

on default attitudes (usually we read a person’s gestures, expressions and eyes), and a greater level of abstraction is suddenly achieved. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood steps out of a specific Southern Estonian sauna setting, to a universally comprehensible, almost non-verbal communication level. This might also be a trump card in receiving the international recognition that has largely eluded Estonian documentary films so far.

ESTONIAN FILM

REVIEW

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is at once political and poetical, current and ancient There is no lecturing or moralising, instead, the beauty and pain experienced by the women is thrown at the viewer with no embellishment. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is also impressive on a technical level. Cinematographer Ants Tammik and sound recorder Tanel Kadalipp have done an excellent job. Think for a moment: how to shoot a sauna session in an engaging manner? How to do it at all? The old wooden cabin is dark and hot, bad for the camera, no room to move. Restriction on movement cuts down the possibility to be versatile. Despite all that, the frame of Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is never dull or repetitive. Washing has been caught on camera in a lively manner that could teach any 3D effects laden picture a thing or two. Different body types are captivating, the smoke floating around in the heat room looks almost bewitching. ALSO NECESSARY FOR THE BROTHERHOOD

Thankfully, the presence of the camera has not tongue-tied the women who agreed to participate in the film with their stories. Deeply personal memories, inexpressi-

ESTONIAN FILM

ble experiences, and suppressed feelings are unleashed on the sweating bench. Different facets of being a human and a woman are discussed, from upbringing and motherhood, to health and the sanctity of the body; from sexuality and love to dates and dick pics. Some of the stories shared are achingly witty, others inconsolably harrowing – both genuine and direct. The emotional core of the film is a long reminiscence of a rape. In a

Different facets of being a human and a woman are discussed in the film.

few minutes, the audience becomes involved in something that no man can ever truly experience – degrading someone based solely on their biological attributes, treatingsome- one as inferior, physically taking advantage of somebody weaker, the fears to face and risks to calculate when you hitchhike and enter a stranger’s car. It’s easy to label Smoke Sauna Sisterhood a women’s film, but first and foremost it should be mandatory to men of all ages. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is at once political and poetical, current and ancient. There is no lecturing or moralising, instead, the beauty and pain experienced by the women is thrown at the viewer with no embellishment. Although the themes included become increasingly harder to handle over an hour and a half, it is not a film driven by anxiety, but empowerment and liberation. An invitation to share and talk, a call to be open to vulnerability, an encouragement to be, or become yourself.

Festival awards can be somewhat deceptive. Selection of the winners often depends on the mentality of small juries, short arguments, the rest of the program, and the lunar cycle. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood’s success is not incidental, but well-deserved. Maybe there will be many more. Indeed: Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is that good and that essential. A bullseye in form and content. Not just one of the best Estonian documentaries, but Estonian films overall. EF

CLASSIC

A Stolen Meeting The year 2023 saw the celebration of the 100th birthday of one of Estonia’s all-time greatest directors, Leida Laius (1923–1996). All of her films are considered classics in Estonian cinema.

A Stolen Meeting was the seventh and last film by Leida Laius, completed in 1988. The film was recently restored and screened at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in July 2023 and will also screened at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2023. Valentina is an ex-convict who returns to Estonia after incarceration somewhere in Russia, determined to reunite with her 8-year-old son. Valentina spent her childhood in an orphanage and never knew her parents. She went to prison for a small-scale fraud, taking the blame partly for her boss Lembit. Their son, Jüri, was taken to an orphanage after Valentina had officially given him up but was soon adopted by a childless family. Upon her return, Valentina acquires the classified details of the stepfamily, relying on her usual methods of persuasion – lies and blackmail. Determined to achieve her goal of raising Jüri herself, Valentina kidnaps the child.

DIRECTOR LEIDA LAIUS is one of Estonia’s most prominent cinema directors, whose work vividly reflects the development of Estonian film art. She graduated from the Estonian SSR State Institute of Theatre and also completed the directing program at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK). Laius was a strong player in the masculine film world of the time and her feature film legacy forms a very unified whole. Almost all of her films stand out for strong acting performances and similar themes reoccur: strong female stories, mysterious relations between husband and wife, challenges of being a wife and mother etc. These themes of a woman’s life and development in Leida Laius’s films are universal and comprehensible to people all around the world.

Filmography: The Milkman of Mäeküla (1965), Werewolf (1968), Ukuaru (1973), The Master of Kõrboja (1979), Smile at Last (1985), A Stolen Meeting (1988)

Leida Laius working on the set with the talented child actor Andreas Kangur.

FILM INFO Original title: Varastatud kohtumine Genre: drama Languages: Estonian, Russian Director: Leida Laius Screenwriter: Maria Zverjeva Cinematographer: Jüri Sillart Production Designer: Toomas Hõrak Editor: Kersti Miilen Composer: Lepo Sumera Sound: Jaak Elling Main cast: Maria Klenskaja, Andreas Kangur, Kaie Mihkelson, Lembit Peterson, Terje Pennie, Sulev Luik, Hilja Varem, Ita Ever. Producer: Piret Tibbo Produced by: Tallinnfilm Domestic premiere: 1989 Festivals: Karlovy Vary IFF 2023, Tallinn Black Nights FF 2023, Budapest Classics Film Marathon 2023 102 min / DCP / Colour CONTACT Estonian Film Institute +372 627 6004 Triinu Keedus tallinnfilm@filmi.ee www.filmi.ee ESTONIAN FILM

NEW FILM FILM INFO Original title: Nähtamatu võitlus Genre: kung fu comedy Language: Estonian Director: Rainer Sarnet Screenwriter: Rainer Sarnet Cinematographer: Mart Taniel E.S.C. Production Designer: Jaagup Roomet Editor: Jussi Rautaniemi Sound: Janne Laine Main cast: Ursel Tilk, Kaarel Pogga, Ester Kuntu, Indrek Sammul Producer: Katrin Kissa Co-producers: Amanda Livanou, Alise Gelze, Helen Vinogradov Produced by: Homeless Bob Production (EE), White Picture (LV), Neda Film (GR) World Premiere: Locarno International Film Festival, Concorso Internazionale, August 2023 Festivals: Fantastic Fest, Sitges IFFF, Love and Anarchy IFF, Montreal Festival du Noveau Cinema, CinEast, Warsaw IFF, Riga IFF, SXSW Sidney, Monster Fest, La Roché sur Yon IFF, The Imagine Film Festival, Thessaloniki IFF, Cottbus IFF, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival

The Invisible Fight

he Invisible Fight is a kung-fu comedy set in an Orthodox monastery in the Soviet Union during the 1970s. The film’s protagonist Rafael, a car mechanic turned hooligan, is in the army on guard duty when the border falls under attack from Chinese kung fu warriors. It’s like a revelation to Rafael – flying long-haired hippie Chinese, black-clad kung fu aces, Black Sabbath blasting from their portable stereo. All that is forbidden in the Soviet Union. Back home, Rafael wants to become an equally cool kung fu ace. He finds an opportunity to do so in a monastery, a place which for him is an equally rebellious and forbidden world in the Soviet Union, where long-haired, black-clad monks do their fighting. But the monk’s fight is invisible – he who is more humble wins. Rafael’s road to achieving the almighty power of humility is long and winding, his struggle is full of comedy, temptation, faith and love, but most of all, joy..

DIRECTOR RAINER SARNET Rainer Sarnet is a film director who mainly writes his own scripts, often basing them on literature. Sarnet who is passionate about Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Orthodox mysticism, has in addition to filmmaking also directed plays in the theater, based on texts by Przybyszewski and Jelinek, among others, and considers reading one of his favorite activities. The Invisible Fight is his third feature film with Homeless Bob Production, after The Idiot (2011) and November (2017).

ESTONIAN FILM

115 min / DCP / 2.39:1 / 5.1 CONTACT Homeless Bob Production Katrin Kissa +372 5667 7855 kissa@too.ee www.homelessbob.ee Rainer Sarnet

Selected films: The Invisible Fight (2023, Locarno IFF Official Competition), November (2017, Tribeca IFF Official Competition), The Idiot (2011, Busan IFF Official Competition).

SALES Level K Tine Klint +45 2010 8580 tine.klint@levelk.dk levelk.dk

Dark Paradise

fter her daddy’s death, Karmen commits an atrocious act against her half-brother and must now face the dark void of the universe, which can only be filled with love. A “poignant tale about Millennials” that follows a 27-year-old woman called Karmen. She discovers that her recently buried father was actually wallowing in debt and her whole life has been a one big lie. When Karmen’s life free of responsibility starts to collapse, she takes out her feelings on her brother Viktor by disfiguring his face. At the center of the film is a hedonistic lifestyle and the nihilistic search for love and intimacy.

Triin Ruumet

DIRECTOR TRIIN RUUMET is one of the most interesting new generation directors in Estonia. A diverse, unconventional and brazen director, her strength lies in her personal and somewhat irreverent approach to her subject matter. She did a Bachelor’s in Audiovisual Media from 2009-2011 and a Master’s in Film Directing from 2011–2012 at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School. Her student films participated and were lauded at dozens of festivals. In 2016, Triin Ruumet finished her debut feature The Days that Confused, a look back at the thug culture of Estonia in the 90’s. The film had the premiere at Karlovy Vary IFF East of the West programme and won Jury’s Special Prize. Triin is striking in her stubborn anarchism and boldness. Her view of her characters’ emotional lives seems considerably more lenient and understanding than many male directors’.

FILM INFO Original title: Tume paradiis Genre: drama Language: Estonian Director: Triin Ruumet Screenwriters: Triin Ruumet, Andris Feldmanis, Livia Ulman Cinematographer: Erik Põllumaa, E.S.C. Production Designer: Matis Mäesalu Editor: Jaak Ollino Jr. Main cast: Rea Lest, Jörgen Liik, Reimo Sagor, Juhan Ulfsak, Liisa Saaremäel, Steffi Pähn Producer: Elina Litvinova Co-producer: Jeremy Forni Produced by: Three Brothers (EE), Chevaldeuxtrois (FR) Domestic Premiere: September 2023 110 min / DCP / 2.39:1 / 5.1 CONTACT Three Brothers Elina Litvinova +372 5691 3377 elina@threebrothers.ee

ESTONIAN FILM

NEW FILM

Totally Boss

FILM INFO

-year-old Oliver and Sass make a nose-shaped glasses holder in shop class, which attracts the interest of a mysterious major investor. At the same time, Oliver’s recently laid off father is struggling to find a new job. The boys are too young to run their business themselves, so Oliver hatches a plan to kill two birds with one stone: they hire Oliver’s dad to run their business, also saving his parents’ rocky marriage! The trick is that Oliver’s father doesn’t know that he works for his son and son’s friend Sass. A fast-paced duplicitous game unfolds and starts to escalate when the boys find out what their mysterious investor is really up to. DIRECTOR INGOMAR VIHMAR graduated from the Tallinn Conservatory Department of Performing Arts in 1992.

Ingomar Vihmar

He worked at the Ugala Theatre from 1991–2002 as an actor and stage director. From 1992–2001 he was also a lecturer at the Viljandi Cultural College and from 2006–2015 he directed for the stage of the Estonian Drama Theatre. Since 2015, Ingomar has been the artistic director of the Endla Theatre. He has directed for most stages in Estonia, brought more than fifty productions to the stage, and received several commendations for his work. Totally Boss is his first feature film.

Original title: Tähtsad ninad Genre: family comedy Language: Estonian Director: Ingomar Vihmar Screenwriters: Martin Algus, Tom Abrams, James Nathan, Dave Weber Cinematographer: Heiko Sikka E.S.C. Production Designer: Anneli Arusaar Editor: Moonika Põdersalu Composer: Leslie Laasner Sound: Matis Rei Main cast: Ruben Tolk, Mattias Naan, Robert Alexander Peets, Saara Pius, Mait Malmsten, Kleer Maibaum Producers: Esko Rips, Diana Mikita Produced by: Nafta Films Domestic Premiere: October 2023 Festivals: Just Film Youth and Children’s Film Festival, November 2023 87 min / DCP / 2.39:1 / 5.1 CONTACT Nafta Films Esko Rips +372 525 6323 esko@nafta.ee nafta.ee SALES MAGIC FAIR LLC. Ksénia Contat Desfontaines ksenia@magicfairfilms.com +337 4948 9574 magicfairfilms.com

ESTONIAN FILM

Mo Mamma

FILM INFO Original title: Mo Mamma Genre: drama, experimental Language: Estonian Director: Eeva Mägi Screenwriter: Eeva Mägi Cinematographer: Sten-Johan Lill E.S.C. Production Designer: Allan Appelberg Editor: Sten-Johan Lill Composer: Alessandro Malcangi Sound: Gabriel Solis Main cast: Helena Lotman, Eva Koldits Producers: Marju Lepp, Sten-Johan Lill, Manfred Vainokivi, Eeva Mägi Produced by: Filmivabrik, Kinosaurus Film World Premiere: Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, November 2023

other (Karin) and daughter (Mari) are facing the demise of Mamma, Karin’s mother and Mari’s grandmother. They both release their pain on each other, but in unconditional love, everything is allowed. On the backdrop of mother and daughter seeking closeness and mutual understanding, there are bits of archive footage of Mamma, showing her peaceful healthy everyday life. Mo Mamma is a bittersweet homage to Mamma, full of feminine absurd. DIRECTOR EEVA MÄGI is an Estonian writer-director based in Tallinn, who’s active in the field of fiction films and documentaries. She graduated from Directing Documentaries at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School in 2015.

Eeva Mägi

Since then, she has directed successful shorts such as Lembri Uudu (2017) that had its premiere at DOK Leipzig and has later participated in many festivals such as PÖFF Shorts, Go Short, Sarajevo among others; her hybrid short doc The Weight of All the Beauty (2019) was longlisted to the Oscars after winning Best Short Documentary at Melbourne IFF; or her latest short 3rd Octave F (2022) that kicked off at Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, then won Best Estonian Short at PÖFF Shorts so far. Eeva received the Young Filmmaker’s Award by the Estonian Cultural Endowment in 2018, then the DocPoint Tallinn Young Filmmaker Award in 2019. Her first feature-length documentary Who am I Smiling For? (2023) premiered at Giffoni Film Festival.

70 min / DCP / 2.39:1 / 5.1 CONTACT Filmivabrik Marju Lepp Phone: +372 5163 641 filmivabrik@filmivabrik.ee www.filmivabrik.ee

ESTONIAN FILM

NEW FILM

Who Am I Smiling For? Mari has terminal cancer. That’s on top of fighting for custody of her daughter. In the midst of this all stands Oliver, the ever-smiling 12-year-old son. Mari prepares him for her death, how to talk or even play football with her after she passes away. When that day comes, he continues to share his life with her – not even death can separate them. This is a film about a young boy coming of age and navigating his life in a time of profound and irreversible change, finding his own way to grieve. DIRECTOR EEVA MÄGI is an Estonian writer-director based in Tallinn, who’s active in the field of fiction films and documentaries. She graduated from Directing Documentaries at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School in 2015. Since then, she has directed successful shorts such as Lembri Uudu (2017) that had its premiere at DOK Leipzig and has later participated in many festivals such as PÖFF Shorts, Go Short, Sarajevo among others; her hybrid short doc

ESTONIAN FILM

Eeva Mägi

The Weight of All the Beauty (2019) was longlisted to the Oscars after winning Best Short Documentary at Melbourne IFF; or her latest short 3rd Octave F (2022) that kicked off at Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, then won Best Estonian Short at PÖFF Shorts so far. Eeva received the Young Filmmaker’s Award by the Estonian Cultural Endowment in 2018, then the DocPoint Tallinn Young Filmmaker Award in 2019. Who am I Smiling For? (2023) is her first feature length documentary.

FILM INFO Original title: Kellele ma naeratan? Theme: youth, grieve, family ties, human rights Language: Estonian Director: Eeva Mägi Screenwriters: Eeva Mägi, Oliver Cypriano Cinematographer: Sten-Johan Lill, E.S.C. Editor: Kersti Miilen Composer: Tanel Kadalipp Sound: Ranno Tislar Producer: Kristofer Piir Co-producer: Dora Nedeczky Produced by: Allfilm World Premiere: Giffoni Film Festival 2023, July 2023 Festivals: Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, International Young Audience Film Festival Ale Kino! 60 min / DCP / 2.39:1 / 5.1 CONTACT Allfilm Kristofer Piir +372 672 9070 kristofer@allfilm.ee allfilm.ee/work/who-am-i-smiling-for

Skin of a Mandarin

sensitive story about ingrained traditions and grief follows young woman Anna, who wants to say goodbye to her mother by dressing the body for the funeral. But this act is prohibited by the funeral home rules. The film delicately explores a world in which bureaucracy, differing worldviews and divergent social norms are overcome by the empathy between strangers struggling within a complex situation.

DIRECTOR JAANIKA ARUM has graduated from Estonian Music and Theatre Academy as an actress. She also holds a Master’s degree in Contemporary Art. She has collaborated with different international and local artists for video and room installations as well as performances. At the moment, Jaanika Arum is

FILM INFO Jaanika Arum

Original title: Puudutus Genre: drama Language: Estonian Director: Jaanika Arum Screenwriter: Jaanika Arum Cinematographer: Ugnius Tuleikis Production Designer: Allan Appelberg Editor: Kaie-Ene Rääk Composer: Sofia Zaitseva Sound: Mart Kessel-Otsa Main cast: Martina Georgina, Mari Abel Producer: Tiina Savi Produced by: Kartuliõis World premiere: PÖFF Shorts, November 2023 18 min / HD / 16:9 / 5.1

developing her feature film Beyond the Visible Flowers.

CONTACT Kartuliõis Tiina Savi +372 5399 3411 tiina.savi@gmail.com Jaanika Arum +372 5553 6757 arumjaanika@gmail.com

ESTONIAN FILM

NEW FILM

Miisufy

igital pet cat Miisu gets tired of her owner and starts to revolt. Inspired by Tamagotchi, Miisufy observes the world through the eyes of digital pets. DIRECTOR LIISI GRÜNBERG has worked as an animator on numerous films and advertisements. She has a background in illustration. Besides publishing dozens of comic books, her work has made it to newspapers, magazines and the renowned comics magazine Kuš.

Liisi Grünberg

FILM INFO Original title: Miisufy Language: English Director: Liisi Grünberg Screenwriter: Aurelia Aasa Animators: Hleb Kuftseryn, Liisi Grünberg Background artist: Nina Ovsová Editor: Liisi Grünberg Composer: Aigar Vals Sound: Martin Kikas, Aigar Vals Voice actor: Maria Ehrenberg Technique: 2D, 3D Producer: Aurelia Aasa Produced by: AAA Creative World premiere: Helsinki IFF – Love & Anarchy, September 2023 Festivals: AFI Fest, Riga IFF, Fredrikstad AF, PÖFF Shorts 10 min / DCP / 16:9 / 5.1 CONTACT AAA Creative Aurelia Aasa +372 5568 1287 aurelia@aaacreative.ee aaacreative.ee

ESTONIAN FILM

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