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EESTI ELU reedel, 6. novembril 2020 — Friday, Novembril 6, 2020
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Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival (Black Nights Film Festival) brightens up the late Autumn evenings for its 24th edition Vincent Teetsov
Commemorating the 250th anniversary of the famous explorer, Admiral Johann von Krusentsern a historical conference was convened at his home in KIltsi with the participation of relatives and international guests. At the location of his, and his wife, Julie von Taube’s graves, the Toom Church in Tallinn, a memorial candle was recently lit. Photo: Ingrid Mäsak
Virtual world premiere of “Singing Revolution: the Musical’s” new music video “Never Forget Who You Are,” starring awardwinning actress and songstress Kristi Roosmaa Broadway’s new writing duo Tony Spinosa and James Bearhart release the “Never Forget Who You Are” music video from their upcoming musical about peaceful political resistance, inspired by the true story of the 1987-1991 Estonian “Singing Revolution.” “Singing Revolution: the Musical” writing duo Tony Spinosa and James Bearhart are thrilled to announce the world premiere of the “Never Forget Who You Are” music video, directed and produced by Vivian Säde. The song, per formed by Estonian actress and singer, Kristi Roosmaa, is written by Spinosa and Bearhart and speaks to the importance of embracing your true values in life. “When James & I wrote ‘Never Forget Who You Are’, we had no idea that the theme of this song would resonate so loudly with the current climate here in the United States,” said Spinosa. “This song illuminates the power of peaceful resis tance, the importance of stand ing up for social justice, and serves as a poignant reminder that standing up for what you believe in can help heal a nation.” “Singing Revolution” is a contemporary musical with a Europop score set to premiere in Los Angeles in 2021. It’s a story of “Taavi Tamm,” the leader of a resis tance movement, who falls in love with the daughter of his enemy. Inspired by the real history of the Estonian revolu
tion against the Soviet Union, our hero peacefully leads his fellow countrymen to freedom through the power of song. The video for “Never Forget Who You Are” was shot in Estonia over the summer with an American-Estonian colla boration, and marks Kristi Roosmaa’s music video debut. “It is always an honor to bring life to a song and to be able to do it in Estonia sur rounded by the history of the story and the land I grew up in was thrilling,” stated Roosmaa. “I was given a lot of freedom while crafting this beautiful song into something that I hope will bring joy and a sense of hope to listeners during these trying times.” The Singing Revolution mul ticultural creative team includes Estonian origin marketing and branding specialist Valev Laube of The VL Studios and Broad way-bound musician Harrison Beck as an orchestrator. The music video is sponsored by the historical Tallinn Song Festival Grounds and Estonian designer Liina Stein. More info about Singing Revolution: the Musical https:// singingrevolutionthemusical. com About Kristi Roosmaa: Estonian-born actress and sing er Kristi Roosmaa’s latest ca reer highlights include perform ing with Residente feat. Bad Bunny on the “Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” singing as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, and appearing in numerous off-Broadway shows and indie films. Most recently, she has been noted for producing and starring in the heartfelt, award-winning indie short film “Wildflower,” which premiered at the FirstGlance Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA in March 2020. About Tony Spinosa: Tony Spinosa was a Resi dent
The shadow of the coming winter has already swiped its cold hand through the month of November with the first snowfall in Toronto. In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s becoming rapidly darker and gloomier. As always, this prompts people to engage in more indoor activities, and this ultimately leads to watching more films. It’s a time to be especially introspective and appreciate what people have made throughout the year. In the spirit of this time, when the sun makes itself scarce, Estonia’s most presti gious film festival is named Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival (Black Nights Film Festival). PÖFF was founded in 1997 and started out by showing mostly films from northern Europe. Soon, the festival ex panded its global range of films shown, through which it has become one of the most recog nizable events in the film world of northern Europe. The festival is also run alongside Industry@ Tallinn & Baltic Event, a massive film and audio-visual industry summit and trade fair, which takes place towards the tail end of the festival. The summit is accessible this year through paid online program ming (https://industry.poff.ee/ accreditation-2-2/). Since 2011, PÖFF has stood
19-year-old Ott Eric Ottender looking to make it in American football ERR, October 2020
out with 13 other competitive international film festivals that are recognized by the Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films (International Federation of Film Producers Asso cia tions), or the FIAPF. Among these 14 festivals are the Berlinale, Venice International Film Festival, and Cannes Film Festival. PÖFF has also been recognized by FIAPF as an A-list festival since 2014. This year, for the 24th edi tion of PÖFF, the festival has placed an emphasis on “New German Cinema.” 12 German movies were selected for this focus, including Und morgen die ganze Welt (“And Tomorrow the Entire World”) by director Julia von Heinz. The film is a contemporary depiction of a young woman who is swept up in fervent activism and the vio lence between Antifa and neo-Nazis. PÖFF also has a dedicated Baltic Competition, with 14 Estonian, Latvian, and Lithua nian films. Tiina Lokk-Tram berg, the Festival Director of PÖFF, describes this segment as “an exciting and exhaustive cul tural and cinematic overview of what the latest of the cinema of three Baltic countries has to offer” that mixes “festival hits with fresh finds.” One Estonian movie being shown is Manfred Vainokivi’s Mephistopheles, a
sports show “Spordipühapäev” on recently: “My short-term goal is to be able to play in a college in the United States next year. The long-term goal of making it into the NFL – I would not like to set that one yet. Life is greatly variable.”
Perhaps the most hopeful Estonian American football player, aside from NFL defensive lineman Margus Hunt, is 19-year old Ott Eric Ottender, who currently plays for the Tallinn Kings but is looking to make it in the United States college football ranks in the coming years. Ottender told Vikerraadio’s
The wide receiver continued: “The long-term goal would be to get better each day, week and year. The work and results will be reflected in the way I play then.”
Director on Broadway’s La Cage Aux Folles 2010 and an Associate Producer on Thoroughly Modern Millie in Concert, Bombshell in Concert, [Title of Show] in Concert, They’re Playing Our Song in Concert. As a director/ choreographer, Tony’s awardwinning work includes Newsies, West Side Story, Cats, Charlies Chang, and The Mysterious Salami.
Ireland and currently a Sloan fellow at the American Film Institute. He most recently per formed in a gender-swapped production of “Hamlet” at The Tank Theater, Manhattan. About Vivian Säde: Vivian Säde is an emerging screenwrit er, director, and producer from Estonia. She gra duated cum laude from the Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School at Tallinn University and is cur rently pursuing her Masters’ degree in Screenwriting at Screen Academy Scotland at Edinburgh Napier University.
About James Bearhart: James Bearhart is a screenwrit er, actor, director, and play wright, who is originally from
Ottender said a lot still needs to be done: “You have to be honest with yourself: Are you putting in the time to go to the field to practice, to the gym,
Photo: poff.ee
documentary about the famous (and controversial, as indicated by PÖFF) Estonian art historian and critic Linnar Priimägi. Another film to look out for is Viesturs Kairišs’ historical drama Pilsēta pie upes (literally “City on the River”, presented in the festival as Sign Painter), about a man who paints and repaints signs amidst the eras before, during, and after the Second World War in Latvia. It’s a story that examines if and how love and people shift through tumultuous changes of power. The festival’s opening cere mony will take place on November 12th at Coca Cola Plaza in central Tallinn, while screenings will take place at venues across Tartu, Ida-Viru maa, and Tallinn until Sunday November 29th. While most of our readers won’t be in attendance in per son, it’s interesting to see what filmmakers have been creating recently and what is showcased in what has been a very chal lenging year for the arts. We can certainly look out for these films in the future as they be come more publicly available.
study games in your spare time, be a student of the game? Of course, the main principles and the sum of the game are clear but there is so, so much left to learn.” But there are also things out of his own control: “Since coaches of American colleges receive 100 or 200 e-mails a day, you have to get a little lucky for them to see your letter and open it to reply. Another thing is if they even need a player like me in the first place.” Ottender, currently training with Estonia’s only team, the Tallinn Kings, added that he sends some 100 e-mails each week to different colleges. “The work off the field is hard,” he smirked, adding that off-season training camps also help a lot, such as the NFL Academy held in London, where Ottender par ticipated over the summer.
Ott Eric Ottender. Photo: NFL Academy
