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.
The BBC website has a photo essay called: The Seto people, A border people. It’s worth a look! (Thanks to reader Adrian Smith for sending.)
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.
A few events worth noting:
The rescheduled An Evening With Arvo Pärt concert finally takes place tonight at 19.00 at Niguliste. Later in the evening, you can find Stella at Mutant Disco. And, unless you’re nursing a hangover on Saturday, you can check out the last day of the Baltic Book Fair, taking place at Saku Suurhall from 11-19 (and entrance is free, but bring cash to buy some books!).
Well, I’m looking at graduate programs again. I could easily become one of those people with a zillion degrees since I’m looking at doctoral programs (History, Literature, Jewish Studies, and Book Studies) and Master’s programs (media studies, book art, publishing), cause apparently a BA and one MA ain’t enough.
These are the media studies programs that have piqued my interest: Interactive Media and Knowledge Environments at Tallinn University, Communication Management at the Baltic Film and Media School (Tallinn University), and Urban Studies at the Estonian Academy of Arts. And though I’m not ready to return to the U.S., this program’s been on my mind for a long time: MA in Digital Humanities at the University of Virginia (my alma mater).
There are a good number of other programs in Estonia that interest me, both in Tallinn and Tartu. It’s surprising how much this little country has to offer.
I’ve received a question in response to my emails to friends and family about the riots, and I’ve decided to answer it here: No, I am not making plans to return to the U.S. Things would have to get much, much worse for me to consider that.
Which is not to say I’m happy about the current situation. There are two issues (for me) that have been brought to the fore.
One: Americans don’t give a damn. Their media coverage of the situation is pathetic. After I sent out emails saying the riots where over, I received responses from people saying they were relieved everything had settled down. Just because the riots are over doesn’t mean things have settled down, people. Things have just been taken to a different level, with the government of one country trying to interfere in the operations of another government. As someone with an MA in Eastern European History and a European mother, perhaps I’m more sensitive to the world stage, but I cannot comprehend why people don’t make an effort to keep themselves informed.
Two: Russia hasn’t changed. And maybe it won’t ever change. Maybe it can’t change. The various political systems it has tried out are stymied by an underlying stream of cruelty (whether aimed at its own people or the peoples of other nations).
I suppose there’s a third issue, too: That there isn’t much I can do about it.
The European Union is under attack, because Russia is attacking Estonia. The Bronze Soldier and the vandalism in Tallinn was Estonian domestic matter, but Russia’s coordinated actions against Estonia are a European Union problem. Thus, European Union-Russia relations have entered a very complicated situation.
Click here to read the full statement by the Foreign Minister. Other European Union countries have expressed support for Estonia, but them’s just words. I’m curious to see how the EU will respond officially, since everyone’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf.
