19 June 2007
According to the Estonian Film Foundation, Kadri Kõusaar’s directorial debut “Magnus” is the first Estonian film to be included in the Cannes official program.
„Magnus” is the story of a sensitive young boy named Magnus (Ruuben Rekkor), who grows up in a family and atmosphere where no one really cares about him. His parents think that children grow up themselves, and if they have food and shelter, all is OK – no more effort must be invested in them. Magnus suffers from a lung disease that is said to be fatal and plays bizarre games with death. However, ten years later, modern medicine has managed to cure the disease but Magnus’ death wish is still there. When a grown-up Magnus (Kristjan Kasearu) makes his second suicide attempt, his father’s (Mart Laisk) conscience awakens. He tries to teach his son some lessons and convince him to go on living, up to a shocking conclusion.
According to The Baltic Times, the film “was banned from distribution in Estonia by a court.” The director, Kadri Kõusaar, appealed the decision and the court hearing was held yesterday. I don’t yet know what the court decided, but I’m hoping for the best.
6 June 2007
Wish I had known about this sooner, but there’s a film about Chagall’s work being screened at Kumu this evening:
06.06.07 kell 18:00
Chagall – Venemaale, eeslitele ja teistele
Rež. François Lévy Kuentz
Prantsusmaa 2003. Filmi pikkus 55′. Inglise keeles.
Eluloofilm Prantsusmaal kodu leidnud valgevene-juudi kunstnik Marc Chagallist (1887-1985), kelle 20. sajandi suurtest murrangutest killustatud saatus kandis ta sünnikodust Vitebskist läbi Peterburi, Moskva, Pariisi, Berliini ja New Yorgi Lõuna-Prantsusmaale Saint-Paul-de-Vence’i. Chagalli loetakse 20. sajandi alguse Pariisi koolkonna üheks klassikuks, kelle nimega ühtegi „-ismi“ siiski siduda ei saa – ta eristus hoopis täiesti eksootilise müstilis-romantilise pildikeele ja muinasjutuliste külaelu-kujutustega. Chagalli looming oli justkui ellujäämistehnika läbi pideva eemaloleku, puudumis- ja üksindustunde, mis saatsid kunstnikku tema esimestest rännakutest alates. Juurtetus ja taasjuurdumine, kallite inimeste eemalolek, taasleidmine ja -kaotamine – need väga tugevad inimlikud emotsioonid on Chagalli teoste kandvaks narratiiviks, mis teeb tema loomingu mõistetavaks, jõuab otse vaataja südamesse. Võime armastada, leida elujõudu ka siis, kui oled pea kõik kaotanud või kõigest loobunud, on Chagalli loo teine kandev sõnum, mida filmis annab südamliku arhiivi-intervjuu kaudu edasi klassik ise. Kuigi eluloole keskenduv, annab film hästi edasi ka kunstiajaloolise pildi Chagalli ajastust ja loometeest.
28 May 2007
There’s another mini film festival at Sõprus this week: French Connection (French film “The American Way”). You can get the full info (in Estonian) at the Kino Sõprus and Pöff sites. Basically, each day of the festival a French film will be screened and then followed by a screening of the American remake. Here’s a listing of the films with links to their IMDB pages:
29 May:La Bête Humaine (1938)
Human Desire (1954)
30 May:
À bout de souffle (1960)
Breathless (1983)
31 May:
Boudu sauvé des eaux (1932)
Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)
1 June:
La Femme Nikita (1990)
Point of No Return (1993)
Anyone interested in seeing the pre-1980s films? Give me a holler.
25 May 2007
From FBI.ee:
There’s quite a concert taking place tonight at Kumu. It will feature the following bands:
Jah Wobble & the English Roots Band(UK)
Jimi Tenor & Kabu Kabu (FIN)
Mira Calix (UK, Warp records)
Clark (UK, Warp records)
Islaja (FIN, Fonal records)
Bersarin Quartett (GER)
Lubomyr Melnyk (Ukraina)
Vaiko Eplik & Eliit (EST)
Broken Time Orchestra (EST)
Miss Katrin & Kautechre (EST)
Aivar Tõnso
Siim Nestor
Plus, a video program.
2 May 2007
Sir David Attenborough’s “The Life of Birds” is being screened at Kumu today, Wednesday (May 2), at 18:00.
11 April 2007
In case you aren’t already aware, Estonian Music Days 2007 starts on Thursday (April 12th). My beloved Tormis is the festival composer. I haven’t gotten my tickets yet, but there are a number of performances that caught my eye. Click here for the full schedule.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, John Digweed will be at Club Hollywood on Thursday.
And, if you’re hoping for something in the range of free, there’s a Sloveenian film, Uglaševanje, at 18:00 (also Thursday) at the European Commission’s Info and Culture Center (Rävala 4/Laikmaa 15).
26 March 2007
Elbert Tuganov, the father of Estonian animation, died on March 22, 2007. He was 87.
Tuganov was actually born in Baku, Azerbaijan (1920), and began his animation career in Germany. When Hitler took power, Tuganov returned to Estonia.
He joined Estonia’s state film studio, Tallinnfilm in 1946. For 11 years, Tuganov shot, drew and painted titles and credit sequences. During this time, Tuganov built an animation stand that would allow the studio to do frame-by-frame shooting. A visiting Moscow official was impressed by the new apparatus and suggested that Tuganov make animation films.
Click here to read the full obituary.
16 March 2007
Starting 15. March we invite all those, who are interested in films, on every Thursday at 18.00 to the European Union Information and Cultural Centre to watch films that are mostly not distributed in Estonia. The films are brought to you in co-operation with the EU embassies in Estonia. The entrance is free.
In March the Representation of the European Commission celebrates with the film nights the Month of Francophonia in Estonia. In co-operation with the French Cultural Centre French films will be shown. The films have English subtitles.
On 22. March we show the film ”Betrayal” (”La trahison”) and on 29. March the film ”The Ax” (”Le couperet”).
There is room for at least 45 people in the hall of the Information and Cultural Centre (Rävala St. 4/Laikmaa St. 15). The entrance to the centre is on Laikmaa St.
Contact:
Kadri Kull
(+372)6 264 400
kadri.kull@ec.europa.eu
