COVER STORY

Yekaterinburg is a city full of contrasts. On the one hand, it has modern buildings with perfectly pristine glass facades that reflect the bell towers of the churches. It’s also a city with a history that includes the execution of the last emperor of Russia, Tsar Nicholas II, who is now celebrated by a powerful Orthodox Church that wants to reinstate the monarchy with the support of President Putin. The streets still carry the names of Bolsheviks, and the city has various factions of a scattered opposition. This opposition includes old communists, middle-aged activists pleading for a new revolution, and young students dreaming of a state that secures human values and personal freedom. The city’s history and its current state make it a fascinating place to explore in a documentary film.

There doesn’t appear to be much hope for the opposition in Russia. Yes, but the opposition is no less heroic for resisting this overwhelming tyrannical onslaught. We got to see a motley group of activists being confronted with the grim absurdities of resistance – detentions at demonstrations and kangaroo court hearings with unavoidable convictions. Igor, the young student and political activist, tries to unify them all: communists, democrats, anti-globalists, vegans, anyone fighting for different points of view. Beyond a few idealistic schoolchildren and several Stalinists, however, he finds little support. The impoverished population has already lost its will to seek any alternative, and a repressive state apparatus brings all remaining attempts at opposition to heel.

When did your project start, and when did you film in Yekaterinburg?

In 2015, I started producing a film with Moscow-based director Svetlana Stasenko about the well-known Russian opposition figure Yevgeny Roizman, who was mayor of Yekaterinburg at the time. We started filming him, but after two trips to Yekaterinburg, I realized that the story we had planned was not enough for a full-length film that would be of any interest beyond Russia.

Over that time, Yekaterinburg completely captivated me as a city, and it seemed to me that it had the potential for an entirely different documentary story. So, I started shooting The Last Relic in 2016 when I had no idea what was in store for Russia in the coming years. Nevertheless, I was able to follow the escalating displays of patriotism and religious fervor, including the country’s increasing militarization, which eventually led to the tragic and awful turning point on February 24, 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Marianna Kaat saw that Yekaterinburg, situated 1800 kilometres from Moscow, could be a metaphor for the whole country that allows to paint a picture of Putin’s Russia.

What are the peculiarities of filming in Russia? What do you need to know, or what skills do you need to be able to film there?

I received my higher education and a degree in art history while studying in Russia, in St. Petersburg. At that time, it was an educational center for students from all over the USSR, and as is customary, I formed very strong friendships during those student years. Through those friendships, I know how difficult it has been and how difficult it now is to shoot films in Russia.

My knowledge of the Russian language is also an important factor, of course, as it was the language of communication for citizens throughout the former USSR.

When you’re shooting in Russia, firstly, if you want to get really intimate access, knowledge of the Russian language is essential. Secondly, you have to understand how the state and its power structures function, and how they became much more powerful during Putin’s reign. but it has not changed the essence of Russia. This country is mysterious, seductive, and scary, and it will be for many years to come. The monster I was trying to dissect is a hard beast to handle – Russia, for now, is best described through the lens of the Theatre of the Absurd.

Thirdly, you need an ability to negotiate with people of all ranks. In Russia, there is no point in referring to laws; you have to know how to overcome particular obstacles or get around them. Over the course of four years, I made many trips to Yekaterinburg, and with each visit it became increasingly challenging to negotiate shoots. I felt a growing sense of distrust and suspicion.

The Last Relic opens with the last faint rays of hope still shining and ends five years later with all hopes irredeemably dashed.

But I believe that through the voices of the characters in the film, audiences can better understand the complexities of this enigmatic country and the appalling consistency of Putin’s regime. We have to be realistic about it. EF

The Last Relic is incredibly well shot, the visuals are of a very high cinematic quality thanks to Polish cinematographer Kacper Czubak. Why was his involvement in the project essential, and what contribution did he make?

I have a great love for Polish documentary cinema, and it has always been a dream of mine to make a film with a Polish cinematographer. I held auditions for possible candidates and found the exact style I had been dreaming of on Kacper’s website. We quickly agreed on a trial trip to Yekaterinburg, but of course, there was no way I could know in advance how we would work together. After all, the role of a cinematographer in documentary filmmaking is very specific.

During filming, the director and cinematographer must understand each other not just from a word or two but from a nod or a hint. You also need a good working and personal relationship on long trips when you are together from the crack of dawn at breakfast to dinner late in the evening. I was very lucky – Kacper has an incredible talent and readiness to visualize a director’s dreams, and I also gained a close friend.

Coming back to Russia, it seems that you are not very optimistic about its future?

The Last Relic opens with the last faint rays of hope still shining. It ends five years later with all hopes irredeemably dashed at a Victory Parade rehearsal on the eve of war. We can also clearly see in the film how the number of people with romantic dreams of a glorious imperial past is increasing, how their feelings are growing deeper.

War in Ukraine has changed the course of history,

Marianna Kaat

Award-winning director and producer Marianna Kaat is one of the most successful Estonian documentary filmmakers, and a renowned expert in subjects of Eastern Europe and Russia. Her passion for exploring the life of that region through the lens of creative non-fiction film has resulted in a unique filmography both as a director and a producer, that includes several distinguished documentaries about Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia and Russia.

Her experience and extensive knowledge make her a respected figure in the film industry and an Associate Professor at Tallinn University Baltic Film, Media and Arts School.

She graduated her PhD studies from St. Petersburg’s State Theatre Arts Academy in Russia and worked as an acquisition executive at Estonian Public Broadcasting. In 1998 she founded the independent production company Baltic Film Production. Since then, she has produced and directed TV series and feature documentaries for local and international film markets. Her works have been screened at prestigious festivals worldwide, including IDFA, Karlovy Vary IFF, Toronto IFF, Full Frame IFF, and BFI London FF.

As a director, her filmography includes numerous award-winning feature documentaries such as Pit No. 8, A Working Title: Wunderkind and 14 Cases, among others. Kaat is an experienced producer and has worked with world-renowned directors such as Vitaly Mansky, Yuri Khashchavatski, and Renato Borrayo Serrano.

In addition to her work at the University, Marianna Kaat has been a guest tutor at various workshops for producers, film schools, and universities outside Estonia. She is also one of the founders of the Estonian Documentary Guild and a Member of the Board of the Estonian Association of Audiovisual Authors.