Lauri Kärk (2012).
On December 28th, 1895, the brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière publicly demonstrated their new invention, the cinematograph, in Paris. Less than a year later, the new wonder of the world could be seen in Tallinn and then in Tartu. From October 4th, 1896, several performances were given in the small hall of the former Tallinn Stock Exchange building (currently the building of the Estonian History Museum on Pikk Street) and from November 13th, 1896 (according to the New Calendar) in the Bürgermusse (citizens' club) in Tartu.
However, it was several years later when filming took place for the first time in Estonia. On April 30th, 1908 the Swedish king's trip to St. Petersburg was documented on film when he had a stop in Tallinn. About ten days later the footage was screened in the cinema. A a few weeks earlier, the first residential cinema "Illusion" in Estonia was opened in Tartu on April 17th, 1908 (the building was destroyed).
A few more years and we can talk about the beginning of Estonian film. The first Estonian filmmaker was Johannes Pääsuke (1892–1918). A young, twenty-year old man filmed the aerial demonstration by Sergei Utochkin in Tartu on April 27–28, 1912 – this chronicle footage was screened in cinema "Illusion", Tartu, already on April 30th, 1912. This very date can be considered as the birthday of Estonian film.
During the following years, Pääsuke filmed chronicle pieces and short films: he recorded the festivities of firemen, city views of Tartu, and the great blizzard in December 1913. Pääsuke offered his film work to the Russian agencies of the newsreel produced by French film companies. Pääsuke's interest toward filmmaking was also supported by his profession as the photographer of the Estonian National Museum – in 1913, he pioneered with an anthropological documentary "Journey through Setomaa".
Pääsuke was also the first Estonian who experimented with the feature film. "Bear Hunt in Pärnu County" was screened in cinema "Ideal" in Tartu on February 26th, 1914. The short feature was not a simple comedy or a sentimental love story – instead, it was a national-political parody so that the screening of the film was even banned in Pärnu.
In the course of a couple of years, Pääsuke, who was just over twenty years old, managed to record nearly forty film pieces "mostly about the life of the Estonian people and more recent events," as he himself put it. Less than ten of these films have survived. In 1914, our film pioneer was mobilised for military service and was later killed in a train accident.
1920s–1930s: The daily life in the field of film of a small country
Film life in the new Republic of Estonia began with a lively and hopeful start. In total, around a few dozens of feature films were made in 1920s and early 1930s, almost half of these were short films.
The first full-length feature films were "The Black Diamond" (1923) and "Shadows of the Past"(1924). The latter was a national romantic film about the Estonians' ancient freedom fight seven hundred years ago. This was followed by Balduin Kusbock's (1892-1933) "The Right of the First Night" (1925) and others.
Among other films, also a local folk comedy "The Faulty Brides", based on the play by Eduard Vilde (1929), and the story of the legendary horse thief, local Robin Hood, "Jüri Rumm" (1929) were made. The Dry Law inspired not only the Hollywood gangster films but also Estonian filmmakers – Vladimir Gaidarov (1893–1976), who worked and lived in Germany at that time, directed a film "Waves of Passion" (1930) about the spirit smugglers in Estonia. One of the most important achievements in the field of film of that era would be Theodor Luts's (1896–1980) "The Young Eagles" (1927), a film about our compatriots who fought on the fronts of the War of Independence of Estonia.
Folk writer Theodor Luts, Oskar Luts' younger brother, was one of the most professional and versatile filmmaker who worked both as a film director and cinematographer. Theodor Luts excelled in capturing fast-paced battle sequences and large-scale mass scenes (in addition to "The Young Eagles", he also made the educational film with staged elements and a number of aerial effects "Gas! Gas! Gas!" in 1931 explaining what to do in the event of a possible gas attack). He has also directed the ethnographic documentary "Ruhnu" (1931). However, the first feature film with optical sound, a collaboration between Estonia and Finland, "Children of the Sun" (1932), remained the last feature film of our small country for years. The energetic Theodor Luts was later employed in Finland and Brazil.
The sound film arrived in Estonia a couple of years after its triumphant success in America. In the autumn of 1929, our prime cinema "Gloria Palace" (founded in 1926), began screening sound films.
Estonia Film was the main company responsible for capturing life on film in the 1920s. Industrial and agricultural exhibitions (for example, Theodor Märska in 1921), as well as critical pieces (films about the so-called beauty of city maintenance in Tallin, 1922) were recorded on film. "VIII General Song Celebration" (1923) is among one of the biggest and most important film pieces of that time. The overview of Estonia – "Through Estonia with a Film Camera" (1924, updated version 1926, cinematographer Rudolf Unt) – was made with the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs whereas the choice of the subject matter was suggested by the university. One of the first film chronicles produced by Estonia Film also captured the peace negotiations in Tartu – just think if we could watch these unique events today! Unfortunately, the film chonicle has not survived.
By the early 1930s, the field of film of a small country had dried up due to economic hardship in Estonia. Just like in many other Eastern and Central European countries, Estonia also welcomed the cinema law that was passed in order to support the domestic film industry. The law, that entered into force in April 1935, obliged cinemas to include "domestic film chronicle to be screened before every film; the chronicle had to depict the most important contemporary events in Estonia, or generally interesting aspects of political, economic and cultural life, or images of the Estonian people, work and nature".
For the regular production of state chronicles, the Estonian Culture Film (Eesti Kultuurfilm, founded in 1931) was reorganised in 1936 – from now on, the company was subordinated to the State Propaganda Directorate, which also meant financial support from the state and, in the long run, the creation of a primary technical base for filmmaking.
In addition to newsreels, several thematic overview films were made in the second half of the 1930s (for example, "Born in Struggle, Raised in Peace" in 1938 for the 20th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia). In the genre of documentary film, the filmmakers tried to follow the enlightenment principles that were used in German Kulturfilm.
Cameraman Konstantin Märska (1896-1951) achieved notable skills in filmmaking – his camera work was characterised by a sensitive sense of detail, extraordinary talent in spotting and memorably portraying different human characters (as seen in several films depicting reportage at the market place). Märska's "Holidays in Pechory"' (1936) and 'Fishermen' (1936) can be considered among the most unique and artistically mature works of the 1930s, which significantly shaped the tradition of our film documentary.
Estonian first animated film, "Adventures of Juku the Dog" (directed by Voldemar Päts and Elmar Jaanimägi) dates from 1931, but this unfortunately remained the only animated film of that era.
1940s–1950s: Beginning of the half of century under the foreign power
The secretly made protocol – Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact – brought Soviet army bases to Estonia already in the autumn of 1939, followed by the Soviet foreign regime established in 1940. The Soviet regime was replaced by the Nazi power during the World War 2, only to be replaced again by the order of our Eastern neighbour (Tallinn was "liberated" in the autumn 1944). This time the change lasted for several long decades until the Singing Revolution and the restoration of the independence of the Republic of Estonia in 1991.
Estonian Culture Film (Eesti Kultuurfilm) was nationalised in September 1940. The propaganda film "Will of the People" (1940), made with the support of the Cinema Chronicle Studio in Leningrad, was intended to demonstrate the so-called "voluntary" nature of the annexation with the Soviet Union,, although the film footage showed columns of Soviet navy sailors among the demonstrators. A few years later, the propaganda film "The Red Fog" (Roter Nebel, 1942) preached the racial policy of the Third Reich, complemented by references to the crimes committed by the Red Army in Estonia.
The first Soviet Estonian feature films were made with the support of Lenfilm. The director of Lenfilm, Austrian-born Herbert Rappaport (1908-1983) began his film career as an assistant to G.W. Pabst in Germany, emigrating from Hollywood to the Soviet Union in 1936. "Life in the Citadel" (directed by Rappaport, 1947) featured an alienated intellectual who was revising his views while wishing to play an active role in society by the final scenes. "Light in Koordi" (1951) was meant to depict the transformation in Estonian rural life and the arrival of the fairytale-like prosperity due to the transition to the system of collective farms. Rappaport's films captured the best of our actors on film, and were more professional than the following films made by several foreign film directors, while at the same time striving to follow the Stalinist ideological pattern of the era. Today, many of the films of that era may seem funny (for example, "The Anthem of the Estonian SSR" in 1945 as a forerunner of the so-called karaoke film), but back then it was far from funny.
After Stalin's death, ideological pressures weakened and a more humane, and later more artistic film production became possible. Viktor Nevezhin's "In the Backyard" (1956), based on the written work by Oskar Luts, offered the best selection of local actors of the time.
Juli Kuni and Kaljo Kiisk (1925-2007) directed the feature film "Naughty Curves" (1959) that is still popular with film audiences today. The film is regarded as "the world's first artistic panorama film" (the Soviet analogue of the cinema screen image captured on three film reels as in American Cinerama). "Dangerous Curves" (1961) was not screened before 1964 for local audiences, when the only panorama cinema "Kosmos" in Estonia was opened.
In 1958, Elbert Tuganov (1920-2007) directed Estonian first puppet film, "Little Peeter's Dream", the film that established the tradition of making domestic puppet films on regular basis in Estonia.
The most sought-after actor of the second half of the 1950s was Rein Aren (1927-1990), no matter whether he performed the role of a positive or negative character.
Yet the art of film remained a genre of "great solitude" and an artificially "transplanted" thing for many years to come, as the literary and filmmaker Lennart Meri, later President of the Republic of Estonia, characterised the position of Estonian film among other arts in 1968. The reason for this was that all all film production was coordinated from Moscow and there was a prior lack of domestic film traditions.
1960s: The great tide of Estonian film
Feature film:
The era of Khrushchev Thaw in the Soviet Union meant new opportunities for Estonian film. Early 1960s brought a number of young professional filmmakers to Estonian cinema (they were trained at the VGIK (State Institute of Cinematography), and to some extent at GITIS (Russian Institute of Theatre Arts), and the Film and Theatre Institute in Moscow).
Virve Aruoja (1922-2016) directed feature film "Actor Joller" (1960), which was produced by Estonian Television, outside the Soviet film production system based in Moscow. That was a sign of new potentials in the field of feature film. "Men from the Fisherman's Village" (1961) on contemporary topics followed, directed by Jüri Müür and produced by Tallinnfilm. The film tells a story about Estonian fishermen whose boat will be taken to the shores of Finland during a storm at sea. Instead of the expected oblicatory ideological scemes (oppositions of the era of the Cold War, criticism towards the capitalist world, crossing the state border of the Soviet Union as a "criminal act"), Müür's film resoved this opposition in a more natural and unambiguous way.
As for Jüri Müür's subsequent film works, "Devil with a False Passport" (1964), an adaptation of a literary work, directed together with Grigory Kromanov (1926-1984) must be definitely pointed out. Literary adaptation was a known method in filmmaking also before, but the choice of sources were different, even questionable. For instance, adapting the novel of our great classic Anton Hansen Tammsaare was a serious challenge due to Tammsaare's complex artistic language and the author's use of the elements of allegory and myth. Bringing the best of national literature to the screen at the time actually fulfilled a number of functions, providing the young art genre of filmmaking in development with artistic material on the one hand, and on the other, a certain liberation from the directives from Moscow.
An important milestone of the Thaw era was the feature film "What Happened to Andres Lapeteus?" (directed by Grigori Kromanov, 1966) – a film that analyses the problems of the cult of personality during the Stalinist times. In the post-war Stalinist years the men who have fought side-by-side and faced death will part their ways – but why?
The great rise in Estonian cinema in the 1960s culminated in "Madness" (1968) directed by Kaljo Kiisk. The drama rich in contingent ideas and paradoxes, reminiscent of Dürrenmatt-like dramaturgy, takes place in a mental hospital at the end of World War II. What, or who, happens to be the mad one? Is it the people between the walls of the mental hospital who have failed to resist the inhumanity of totalitarian regime? Are they really sick? Or the blind henchman of the Nazi propaganda, the so-called 'sane' one, who faithfully and madly hunts the English spy supposedly hiding himself at the hospital?
"Madness" was undoubtedly Kaljo Kiisk's one of the most original films in the sense of artistic approach (screenwriter Viktors Lorencs (1927-1992)), with its promising performance and cinematography (for example, the main role by Jüri Järvet and cinematography by Anatoly Zabolotsky (1935)). The film excelled also with the ideological message and substance – the socio-political message of the film was actually too compellingso that the film was met with strong ideological condemnation in Moscow and was banned (the film had limited screenings only in the Estonian SSR; it reached the screens of other Soviet republics not before the perestroika era). This meant a serious setback for Kaljo Kiisk and the Estonian cinema in general. Serious subjects had to be coded in films in an allegorical form in order to reach the screens. Kromanov, for example, with his socially sensitive nerve was forced to stick to a genre film.
The romantic adventure film "The Last Relic" (1969), directed by Grigori Kromanov, had the soundtrack songs carried by the desire for freedom (lyrics by Paul-Eerik Rummo, music by Uno Naissoo) that were based on the Brechtian Verfremdungseffekt – that allowing to draw parallels with the Soviet era of that time, despite the film's historical setting. "The Last Relic" is most probably the most popular and widely known Estonian film of all time.
With its simplicity and immediate sincerity, Arvo Kruusement's (b. 1928) feature film "Spring" (1969), an adaptation of the popular youth novel of the same title by Oskar Luts, won the hearts of Estonian film audience. The sequels of "Spring" – "Summer" (1976) and "Autumn" (1990) were a natural step to follow. "Spring" was announced as the film of the century during the celebrations of Estonian Film 100 in April 2012.
The general picture of the 1960s film scene would be incomplete if we forgot one of the most evergreen comedies, "Men Don't Cry" (1968), directed by Sulev Nõmmik (1931-1992). Among the most sparkling film actresses of the 1960s, Ada Lundver (1942-2011) should be mentioned, including her excellent roles that have not perhaps been acknowedged, as in "What Happened to Andres Lapeteus?" directed by Grigori Kromanov, and "Dark Windows" (1968), directed by Tõnis Kask (1929-2016).
Documentary films and animation films:
1960s were marking a new page in Estonian documentary filmmaking.
In the 1960s, Estonian Television was one of the most interesting and veracious TV broadcasters in the entire Soviet Union. During its early years of development, it was not as ideologised as it was in the later Soviet years (as technology improved, the replacement of live broadcasts with video recordings also offered better censorship possibilities). The TV journalist Valdo Pant (1928-1976) never forgot to notice the human being when working with the reality material often void of information and full of ideologyl, and that not only on the television screen, but also for example the in documentary "Estonia" (1968), directed by Virve Aruoja. The genuineness of both Valdo Pant and the television also led the documentary film genre towards greater authenticity.
Bold and innovative documentaries "511 Best Photographs of Mars" (1968) directed by Andres Sööt (b. 1934) and "Our Artur" (1968) directed by Grigori Kromanov are both of great significance for Estonian documentary history. Observing the café guests with a hidden camera and quoting Artur Alliksaar, Sööt has documented existentially timeless moments "511 Best Photographs of Mars". In "Our Artur", Kromanov has examined the phenomenon of Artur Rinne, the nation's favourite singer. Kromanov has observed connections with the twists and turns of Estonia's and the nation's destiny, which is also why the film met the fate of being banned.
Ülo Tambek (1922-1979), documentary filmmaker of a great social sensibility, directed "Peasants" (1969/89) which portrayed the reality of daily life in a collective farm. However, the film did not even make it to the screen when it was completed, but was banned for decades.
The heritage of Estonian puppet film from the 1960s includes the films of cameraman Kõps directed by Heino Pars (1925-2014), in which puppet characters act in the midst of wildlife, thus providing young viewers with educational information about the world while adjusting to their age (the first was "Cameraman Kõps in Mushroomland", 1964). Puppet films were also made for adult audiences: for instance, satirical "Park" (1966), directed by Elbert Tuganov.
1970s–1980s: From stagnation to Perestroika
Feature film:
As a continuation of the success in 1960s filmmaking, the beginning of the 1970s offered another gem of Estonian film history, the experimental short film "Endless Day" (1971/90) by Jaan Tooming (1946–2024), one of the most powerful and radical Estonian theatre innovators, together with Virve Aruoja. The avant-garde film language, the courageous insight into his own life and into the human being had the effect of having got lost in the somber reality of early 1970s. The "being lost" aspect was unequivocally confirmed also by the fact that the film was banned, and it reached audiences only several decades later.
In fact, the early 1970s were a serious setback compared to the wave of freedom and the accompanied expectations and hopes of the 1960s. In the wake of Khrushchev's Thaw and Kosygin's economic reforms, Brezhnev's so-called "developed Socialism" or the era of Stagnation had arrived. And this did not also promote the development in the field of film art.
It was not before the end of the 1970s when some more reviving times began in filmmaking. Kaljo Kiisk directed another feature film "Ask the Dead About the Price of Death" (1977), based on a screenplay by Mati Unt. Kiisk also directed feature film "Nipernaadi" (1983), based on the novel of the same title by August Gailit.
Grigory Kromanov directed "Dead Mountaineer's Hotel" (1979), based on the literary work by the brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Sven Grünberg (b. 1956) as a composer became well-known with this film.
"Daisy Petal Game", a collection of three short films made in 1977, denoted the arrival of a new generation of filmmakers in Estonian cinema. Olav Neuland's (1947-2005) directed "Nest of Winds" (1979) that depicted daily village life in the Baltic countries during the post-World War II years and the bushwhackers fighting against the Soviet invaders. The film attracted wider attention and also won the Karlovy Vary Debut Film Prize in 1980.
In 1980, Mark Soosaar directed "Christmas in Vigala" and Peeter Simm (b. 1953) directed "The Ideal Landscape" – both films were important. "The Ideal Landscape" (subtitle "What you sow ...") became one of the most prominent examples of film d'auteur in Estonia. The early years of the Stalinist that the collective farm regime. In his grotesque way, Simm examines the ethical aspects of the decisions of the spring sowing commissar, a young man and a member of the Young Communists' League, who has to follow the instructions of the Communist Party and organise the spring sowing accordingly. Peeter Simm focuses on the conflict between the desires and aspirations of the individual and the imposed social framework. This is also reflected in several subsequent films, especially in "Dance Around the Steam Boiler" (1987) and "A Man Who Never Was" (1989, the film was included in the Cannes Film Festival programme).
"Christmas in Vigala" caused sharp controversy, because its director Mark Soosaar viewed the events of the revolution in 1905 as an anarchic carnival, and opposed himself to the official canon on history and heroism. Naturally, Soosaar got punished for the film and the talented and versatile filmmaker's future career in feature films was cancelled.
The new generation introduced new actors to the screen. While 1970s saw the arrival of Lembit Ulfsak (1947-2017), the new faces of 1980s would have been unthinkable without Tõnu Kark (b. 1947) and Arvo Kukumägi (1958-2017). 1960s and 1980s provided several film roles for one of the greatest actors in Estonian theatre, Ants Eskola (1908-1989). Jüri Järvet (1919-1995) and Leonhard Merzin (1934-1990) appeared in films by other film studios of the Soviet Union.
A cross-section of the life of ordinary people in the idle Estonian SSR of the 1980s was offered by "The Joys of Midlife" (1986). When writing the screenplay, Valentin Kuik (b. 1943) had kept specific actors in mind, and director Lembit Ulfsak's work added a playful touch to the serious feature.
For young film audiences, Helle Murdmaa (Karis) (1944-2021) directed "Bumpy" (1981), based on the children's story of the same title by Oskar Luts. The film's soundtrack was composed by Olav Ehala and lyrics by Juhan Viiding. Olav Ehala (b. 1950) is one of our most distinguished film composers.
Somewhat surprisingly, Leida Laius (1923-1996) turned out to be one of our first so-called Perestroika-filmmakers. The grand lady of Estonian cinema had observed the role of a woman through the time in her previous literary adaptations in the form of classical psychological drama and with great attention to acting ("Ukuaru", 1973, based on the novel by Veera Saar; "The Master of Kõrboja", 1979, based on the novel by Anton Hansen Tammsaare). In 1985, Leida Laius and Arvo Iho (b. 1949) co-directed a painful feature film "Games for Schoolchildren", a film with deep social criticism about the orphanage children who have been abandoned by their parents. It was one of the first Glasnost films ever made in the Soviet Union, and therefore it attracted attention elsewhere in the world. Leida Laius was also recognized at several film festivals for women's cinema during the later years.
In the second half of the 1980s, new director's debuts were introduced. Liberated from ideological pressures, the taboo subjects in our history were addressed. Jüri Sillart (1943-2011), who had previously worked as a cameraman, directed the film "Awakening" (1989) about the large-scale violent deportation actions by the Soviet authorities.
Arvo Iho's powerful directorial debut, "The Observer" (1987), delved into the hidden layers of the human psyche and reached a differentiation between the social and homo soveticus. His feature film "For Crazies Only" (1990) attracted international attention.
Documentaries:
Mark Soosaar (b. 1946) started as a documentary filmmaker in the early 1970s. Soosaar's documentary "Woman From Kihnu Woman" (1974), which attracted lots of attention, stood out for its bold use of colour and different photographic techniques, its rainbow-coloured refraction of reality through the artist's prism. Soosaar's films have been characterised by suggestive imagery and poetic approach, as well as provocative theatricality. People Soosaar has portrayed may not always fit into mainstream frameworks, for instance a quirky maverick in "Mr. Vene's World" (1981). In "Earthly Desires" (1977), Mark Soosaar has depicted Eduard Viiralt, the most well-known Estonian graphic artist, with a barefaced selfish approach. Soosaar has also explored contemporary urban environment ("Lasnamäe", 1985), but above all he stands up for endangered cultures; and over and over again he has taken his film camera to the island of Kihnu.
Andres Sööt and Mark Soosaar are the men who have influenced the development of Estonian documentary genre the most in the decades to come. All the more so because the films directed by Sööt and Soosaar are inspired by different, even polarising perceptions. To name a few most important keywords, there would be the bold theatricality and natural subjectivity by Soosaar on one hand and the hidden auteur's approach or occasional discreet irony by Sööt on the other.
Andres Sööt (b. 1934) is a man who does not forget his mission as a documentary (historian) chronicler. For example, his personal annual chronicles "Year of the Dragon" (1988) and "Year of the Horse" (1991), or "Arnold Matteus" (1981), which captured the life of the legendary city architect and documented life in both Tartu and Estonia during the Soviet era. Sööt values memory: one of his portrait documentaries "Memory" (1984) depicts art historian Villem Raam.
However, not always the films that capture big events are in any way parade-like; Sööt's sharp, sensitive eye notices the backside of events. His documentary on song celebration, "Conductors" (1975), does not focus on a choirmaster as expected from the title but mostly depicts the technical management of the great procession of song celebration through the city of Tallinn. Sööt directed sociocritical "Midsummer Day" (1978) that captures the celebration of nature-oriented and folksy traditions in an alienated and migrant urban environment while offering the sociocritical view to the daily life in the Soviet Estonia.
Some documentaries can be described as being especially socially sensitive, for instance "Wheel of Joy" (1979) directed by Ülo Tambek;, "The Ploughman's Fatigue" (1982, directed by Jüri Müür and Enn Säde). Peep Puks (b. 1940) has made documentaries on cultural history, his "Juhan Liiv's Story" (1975) stands out for its attempt to interpret the poet's tragic life through cinematographic means. In addition to the documentaries on Estonian photography, Peeter Tooming (1939-1997) has made several films about the living environment and urban pollution ("Urban Animal", 1981).
Rein Maran (b. 1931) has made numerous successful nature documentaries, often dealing with the life of the so-called repulsive beings, such as vipers or toads in "The Common Viper" (1978) and "The Witch's Creature" (1981). Lennart Meri (1929-2006) documented the Finno-Ugric peoples and their ethnographic traditions in 1970s-1980s. The wider range of topics, including various taboo subjects, was also reflected in our documentaries. For example, "Miss Saaremaa" (1989) directed by Mark Soosaar or "Hitler & Stalin 1939", directed by Olav Neuland, the film being made for the 50th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
At the end of the Soviet period, "To Shura" (1990) directed by Renita (b. 1955) and Hannes Lindtrop (b. 1958) received most attentsion and international acclaim among the works of younger filmmakers. The documentary depicted the social and existential issues of a femal guard at the North-East Estonian industrial scene.
Animation films:
In 1972, Rein Raamat (b. 1931) laid the foundations for the continuity of animated films in Estonia with his film "The Water Bearer". His most important film works are the epic "Tyll the Giant" (1980), depicting a mythical giant from Estonian folklore, and "Hell" (1983), a vision of the dangers threatening European civilisation based on the graphic art of the well-known artist Eduard Viiralt that he completed in 1930s. Rein Raamat has included several of the best Estonian visual artists in his films and developed a fruitful collaboration with composer Lepo Sumera (1950-2000).
Priit Pärn (b. 1946) became one of the most internationally renowned and award-winning Estonian filmmakers. Pärn, who started out as a caricature artist, has made animations full of the most unpredictable, strangely paradoxical metamorphoses ("And Plays Tricks", 1978; "Time Out", 1984). His films are mainly funny and witty, but this does not exclude Pärn using other, different tones and more serious topics. In his most awarded film, "Breakfast on the Grass" (1987), Pärn observes life of an individual in a degenerate totalitarian society, thus the film being one of the most profound insights into the Soviet era in Estonian cinema as a whole.
Other important local animation filmmakers include Avo Paistik (1936-2013): he directed the mysterious "High Jump" (1985) and the first full-length children's animation, "Three Jolly Fellows" (1990). Mati Kütt (b. 1947) is another distinguished and inventive animation artist, as one of his films "Labyrinth" (1989) has been scratched directly on film.
A number of puppet films also stood out for their novelty and inventiveness. In puppet animation "Nail" (1972), director Heino Pars was able to illustrate several characteristics of human nature with an original and subtle form whil using only characters that were nails. In 1977, Elbert Tuganov made the stereoscopic puppet animation "Souvenir", the first 3D puppet film in the Soviet Union and probably in the world.
The puppet animation directors' duo Riho Unt (b. 1956) and Hardi Volmer (b. 1957) brought innovative vibes to the field of film. The unique personalities of the characters and humorous, nuanced solutions have been presented together with more serious topics and allegories, such as in "The War" (1987).
Several puppet animations directed by Rao Heidmets (b. 1956) have been artistically successful. In "Papa Carlo's Theatre" (1988), Heidmets observes the relationship between man and a puppet. "Noblesse Oblige" (1989), puppet animation with the elements of surrealism, is about the mannerisms of social etiquette.
In addition to the Moscow Soyuzmultfilm, animated and puppet films were made in film studios in other Soviet republics, but it was namely in Estonia where filmmakers managed to develop its own school of animation, which was and is still known far outside Estonia.
1990s-2010s: Film in Estonia that had regained its independence
What has been the fate of our film since Estonia regained its independence in August 1991?
Both changes in the content on the screen as well as structural changes in film production were taking place during that era. The changes themselves have been more radical, and perhaps more painful, than in our other artistic fields: film production, a very expensive field, had been largely financed (and also controlled) directly from Moscow during the years of Soviet Estonia.
When Estonia regained its independence, there was more interest towards genre film, and Mati Põldre's (1936-2023) film about the legendary composer Raimond Valgre, "These Old Love Letters" (1992), became a success among film audiences. Also, "Firewater" (1994) directed by Hardi Volmer, was also a genre film. The monopoly of the state-owned Tallinnfilm (and Eesti Telefilm) in film production had become a thing of the past, and small films studios emerged, one after another.
Thus, in 1993, a decision of fundamental importance was welcomed to switch from the previous studio-based principle (i.e. from subsidising only Tallinnfilm) to project-based financing. Initially, funding was channelled through the Ministry of Culture, but since 1997 it has been administered by the Estonian Film Foundation (EFS), now Estonian Film Institute (EFI). The Cultural Endowment of Estonia also supports film production. State support is partial, film producers must be able to find additional sources of funding.
Feature film:
The fate of the feature film in Estonia has been somewhat unstable over the years. All the more appreciated was the Orizzonti Award for Veiko Õunpuu's (b. 1972) "Autumn Ball" received at the 64th Venice Film Festival in autumn 2007.
The year of 2007 was one of our most successful film years since the legendary 1968. A total of 10 (!) feature films were made in Estonia (none in 1996 and 2000). We entered several major film festivals. Kadri Kõusaar's (b. 1980) debut feature film "Magnus" was screened at Cannes in the framework of Un Certain Regard programme. Ilmar Raag (b. 1968) directed feature film "The Class", based on school violence. The film was also screened in the East of the West programme at Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
The fact is that we have made it to the big festivals and awards a few times before. In 2002, "Good Hands" (2001), directed by Peeter Simm, won Manfred Salzgeber Award at the Panorama Programme at Berlin Film Festival. In 2004, "Revolution of Pigs" (2004), directed by Jaak Kilmi (b. 193) and Rene Reinumäe (b. 1974) received the Special Jury Prize Silver St. George in Moscow. Nevertheless, the award that feature "Autumn Ball", directed by Veiko Õunpuu, won in Venice Film Festival was definitely the most prestigious one in the row. Based on the novel of the same title by Estonian modern literature writer Mati Unt (1944-2005), "Autumn Ball" is a film about loneliness and alienation. The film follows the lives of characters in a post-Soviet urban environment; people who are introverted in a Nordic way. Õunpuu is particularly skilled in his depiction of the environment, having studied painting for some time before entering the field of film. Õunpuu's social sensitivity is also evident in his feature "The Temptation of St. Tony" (2009).
In addition, the market share of domestic films among local viewers was 14.3% in 2007, which was well ahead of the other Baltic countries, and we were gradually approaching the corresponding numbers compared to our Scandinavian neighbours. The average number of cinema admissions in 2011 was 1.84 times. The most-watched Estonian film during the new independence era has been Elmo Nüganen's (b. 1962) "Names in Marble" (2002) with 167 958 admissions, this being ahead even Hollywood blockbusters (only "Avatar" has managed to attract more Estonian film audiences).
Of course, none of this has happened overnight. Sulev Keedus (b. 1957) continued to keep the status of film d'auteur high – he directed "Georgica" (1998) and "Somnambulance" (2003) while both films portrayed the eschatological world after the cataclysms of the 20th century, searching for a way out of the world's tragic fragmentation.
The beginning of a generational shift in the field of feature film was first signalled by Rainer Sarnet's (b. 1969) "Seasickness", which was awarded at the Student Film Festival in Moscow in 1994, and Jaak Kilmi's "Came to Visit" that was recognised in Oberhausen in 1999 (Main Prize). Both Sarnet and Kilmi received their film education at Tallinn Pedagogical University.
Feature "Agent Wild Duck" (2002), directed by Marko Raat (b. 1973) attempted to represent the ideas of manipulations and hoodwinking. The literary adaption based on a novel by Eduard Vilde "The Elusive Miracle" (2006), a co-project of Von Krahl Theatre, turned out to be suprisingly meaningful despite its very limited resources and literally no-budget. Among the six young filmmakers, most memorable were the short films by Andres Maimik and Jaak Kilmi, that were the pseudo-documentary documentations of the local Estonian life with the touch of sarcasm and grotesque.
In 1992, Tallinn Pedagogical University launched film studies programme, and since 2005 Tallinn University has been home to the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School. Our film students continue their education in other film schools around the world. So there could be quite a lot of potential filmmakers. To prove this, "The Confession" directed by Tanel Toom (b. 1982) won the Oscar for the Best Foreign Student Film in the summer 2010; and the short film "Shift" (2010) directed by Anu Aun (b. 1980) also won several awards at festivals.
But times are different, so in 2009 the market share of domestic films was again just 2.03% that is seven times lower than in 2007 – fluctuations must be taken into account with such a small country.
Documentaries:
However, the local documentary filmmaking has had to endure more difficult times (including the transition from film to video and digital, which was initially an obstructive aspect).
However, we can mention a number of successful documentaries directed by Sulev Keedus, such as "In Paradisum" (1993) which delves into the inner life of prisoners, or "Jonathan from Australia" (2007) which captures human beings not always able to keep up with life's changes. Also, undoubtedly "The Russians on Crow Island" (2012). Among the best modern documentaries are certainly "Nelli and Elmar" (1998), directed by Enn Säde (b. 1938) who documented life in the periphery; and Kersti Uibo's (b. 1956) "Still Life With Wife" (2006), a psychologically subtle portrayal of man-woman marriage relationships.
A number of cinematic portraits of fellow cinematographers have been produced.These films have also offered a more complex portrayal of the man, such as in "Antosha" (1995) directed by Jüri Sillart (1943-2011), a portrait documentary about cinematographer Anton Mutt (1933-2003); "Mister Wall and the Wind" (2004) directed by Enn Säde, a documentary about Jüri Müür; "Kings of the Time" (2008), a twin portrait about animation filmmakers Heino Pars and Elbert Tuganov, directed by Mait Laas (b. 1970). Manfred Vainokivi (b. 1964) has excelled in making several films of culture history, for instance the portrait documentary "Baskin" (2012) about theatre legend Eino Baskin.
Dorian Supin (b. 1948) has portrayed the world-famous composer Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) in “Arvo Pärt. 24 Preludes for a Fugue” (2002), as Pärt has composed a lot of film music for Tallinnfilm during his youth. Katrin Laur (b. 1955) couldn’t avoid the questions about Soviet times while portraying our poetess Debora Vaarandi in “Debora Vaarandi’s Time” (2006), but the more interesting was the outcome.
Among the works of middle generation, “Happy Birthday”, directed by Urmas E. Liiv (b. 1966), stands out, describing the life of three youngsters from different social backgrounds in modern Estonia. Urmas E. Liiv has given them a video camera and let them to document their life.The filmmakers duo Jaak Kilmi (b. 1973) and Andres Maimik (b. 1970) has been gaining attention – their co-directed documentary “A Living Force” (2003) follows three different lifestyles - the ones of a loser, an intellectual and a yuppie in success-oriented Estonia. Andres Maimik directed “Choose Order” (2004) that provocatively interferes in the doings of those who admire strict order and power. Jaak Kilmi and Kiur Aarma (b. 1975) take a liberal look at the ideological struggles of Soviet television in their co-direction “Disco and Atomic War” (2009).
With this sobering, but definitely not pessimistic note let us conclude the brief introduction to Estonian film history. The achievements of our film industry are not born out of thin air, but are the result of years and decades long film production. This fact gives us fair ground to look into the future in 2012, the anniversary year of Estonian cinema.
Animation:
Estonian animation filmmaking has smoothly adapted to new conditions. The studios Eesti Joonisfilm and Nukufilm (specializing in stop-motion animation) have preserved the good reputation of Estonian animation. Films by our modern classic Priit Pärn are always popular and welcome, for example his “Hotel E” (1992) or “Life Without Gabriella Ferri” (2008) co-directed with his wife Olga Pärn; also “Divers in the Rain” (2010). An enjoyably high artistic experience can be received from Mati Kütt’s films, the latest being “Sky Song” (2010).
“Cabbage Head” (1993), directed by Riho Unt, had a follow-up “ Back to Europe” (1997) and “Samuel’s Internet” (2000). Janno Põldma (b. 1950) and Heiki Ernits (b. 1953) directed full-length animations “Lotte from Gadgetville” (2006) and “Lotte and the Secret of Moon Rock” (2011). Mait Laas is currently making a full-length S3D puppet animation “Lisa Limone and Maroc Orange: a Rapid Love Story” (2013).
Several younger generation’s animators have also emerged, for example Mari-Liis Bassovskaya (b. 1977), Jelena Grilin (b. 1979), Kaspar Jancis (b. 1975), Pärtel Tali (b. 1977), Priit Tender (b. 1971) and Ülo Pikkov (b. 1976).
Shortcut to Estonian film history (chronology)
1896 Brothers Lumière cinematograph is introduced in Estonia
1906 first residential cinema theatre "Illusion" is opened in Tartu
1908 proof of the first film shooting in Estonia
1912 Estonian first cinematographer Johannes Pääsuke makes his first film footage
1914 the first Estonian feature film “Bear Hunt in Pärnu County” is completed
1923 first full-length feature film “Black Diamond” is completed
1926 the prime cinema "Gloria Palace" is opened in Tallinn
1931 first animation in Estonia “Adventures of Juku the Dog” by Voldemar Päts
1931 Estonian Culture Film is founded
1932 first sound movie in Estonia “Children of the Sun” by Theodor Luts is completed
1935 Cinema Law enters into force
1940 nationalising Estonian Culture Film is nationalised
1947 first Soviet Estonian feature “Life in the Citadel” by Herbert Rappaport is completed in Lenfilm
1955 the first feature by Tallinn Film Studio, concert film “When the Night Arrives”
1955 Cinema Sõprus with two halls opens in Tallinn
1958 first puppet animation “Little Peeter’s Dream” by Elbert Tuganov is completed
1960 first feature film by Estonian Television is made – “Actor Joller” directed by Virve Aruoja
1962 Estonian Filmmakers' Union is founded
1964 Cinema Kosmos is opened in Tallinn
1965 Estonian Telefilm is founded
1967 Estonian Advertising Film is founded
1972 “The Water Carrier” directed by Rein Raamat started the regular production of Estonian animation
1982 first number of cultural monthly “Theater. Music. Cinema” is launched
1987 1st Pärnu International Visual Anthropology Film Festival is held
1992 Tallinn Pedagogical University launches film studies programme
1993 state financing for film production becomes project based
1997 Estonian Film Foundation (later Estonian Film Institute) is founded
1997 1st Tallinn Black Nights Film festival is held
2001 first multiplex cinema Coca-Cola Plaza is opened in Tallinn, Estonia
2005 Baltic Film and Media School is founded at Tallinn University (later it became TLU Institute of Baltic Film, Media and Arts, BFM)
2012 celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Estonian film