REVIEW
Evil in Shorts The children-centred adventure drama The Sleeping Beast, directed by Jaak Kilmi, turned out to be a captivating surprise, giving me some anxiety and making me fight back the tears.
W
ith serious themes, the film breaks down barriers between dramas targeted at adult audiences and children’s films. The Sleeping Beast reveals the tension, feelings of guilt, as well as complicated moral dilemmas that threaten to permanently rewrite the protagonists’ coming of age stories. Director Jaak Kilmi has succeeded in telling the story with the help of young actors, and their improvisational performance leaves a true-to-life impression. Thanks to the diverse characters, the protagonists form a very natural and colourful crowd, where every member has the chance to excel.
44
ESTONIAN FILM
Ink Big! The critics have done their job
However, when the story develops, the growing pains of the children start to unwrap: Loore has to take care of her sister, Siim is afraid of his father’s aggressiveness. One does not expect the gravity of the situation at the beginning of the film, where the children playing under the sun’s golden rays gives the impression of an entirely different atmosphere. The children’s gang led by Kristjan conquers the endless greenery, their idyllic playground. Based on their childish fairy tale like logic, they create adventures on the fly. Whereas the film starts by observing the joys of childhood with relaxed ease, the story subtly develops into increasingly dark and
UNA MARTA SOMS KIMI REIKO PILIPENKO LAURA VAHTRE REBEKA KASK NILS JAAGUP ENGLAND
A FILM BY JAAK KILMI
EVERYTHING IS FINE.
AS LONG AS YOU DON’T TELL ANYONE NILS JAAGUP ENGLAND LAURA VAHTRE REBEKA KASK KIMI REIKO PILIPENKO UNA MARTA SOMS MIRJA & MIRJE TOOMSALU EVELIN VÕIGEMAST ANTI KOBIN ESTER KUNTU JAANIKA ARUM JUULI LILL MAKE-UP SOUND DESIGNER JAANUS VAHTRA DESIGNER MERLIT VELDI EDITOR ANDRIS GRANTS DESIGNER MATĪSS KRIŠJĀNIS REIMO SAGOR ANDRES LEPIK SCREENWRITER AIDI VALLIK CINEMATOGRAPHER ELEN LOTMAN, ESC DESIPRODUCTIGNERON GETTER VAHAR COSTUME COMPOSER KĀRLIS AUZĀNS CO-PRODUCERS DOMINIKS JARMAKOVIČS & ROBERTS VINOVSKIS PRODUCED BY EVELIN PENTTILÄ DIRECTOR JAAK KILMI
The Sleeping Beast By Ralf Sauter First published in Postimees
