The program included the full range of genres and formats, from feature length documentary and feature length live-action narratives to fresh student films and international award-winning animation.
As Festival Director Ellen Valter noted, “Filmmaking in Estonia has matured and the production quality is miles ahead of where it was some 20 years ago. This allows us to now confidently program a variety of film formats and genres and turn our attention to our own filmmaking community this side of the ocean.”
The FILMIST festival launched in Hamilton on Friday March 15th with the North American premiere of The Daughter Behind the Iron Curtain. This feature length documentary from Sweden shared the story of Mare Milk, the first child who was permitted to leave Soviet Estonia, who joined her parents in Sweden. The film expertly set out the historical context of how the war affected not just Estonia, but also other parts of Europe, leading audience member Linda Kraav to enthuse, “It sure filled in a lot of gaps for me [regarding] our collective history. I really hope it will become more widely available to stream or watch!”
Each film touched on themes of loss, survival, and most of all, humanity — reminding the audience the value of community and perseverance in the face of upheaval.
Arts education played a role in the festival, too. During the preceding week of March break, young Estonians were supported by a faculty of film professionals to create short portraits as part of FILMIST Stuudio. This led up to Saturday night, March 16th, at Innis Town Hall in Toronto, when their work premiered. Working with the students, five interviewees born in Estonia described their escape from Estonia when the Soviets returned with their reign of terror in 1944, and told their story through an item that they brought along with them on the journey (more on this in another article in this week’s paper).
These fresh creations were warmly received. The jury awarded recognition to Minust saab voorimees (When I Grow Up) and the student participants were applauded by the audience. These portraits were followed by four shorts: a student film, I Miss the Russia That Doesn’t Exist, by then 15-year-old Avdotja Bakhtina; Dog Apartment (Koerkorter), a multiple award-winning and Oscar-nominated and shortlisted absurdist stop motion animation; Nightingale (Ööbik), a poignant short of a Russian soldier guarding Estonian political prisoners in 1944; and What Would You Take? (Mille Sina Võtaksid?), bookending the evening with the same theme as the student films, through a short film that looked at 12 refugees from Ukraine. Each film touched on themes of loss, survival, and most of all, humanity — reminding the audience the value of community and perseverance in the face of upheaval.
One sees both tender love and the precarious nature of crime and punishment in a way that feels relatable and almost contemporary.
On closing night, Sunday March 17th, audiences were taken back to Tallinn in the year 1423, for the thriller Melchior the Apothecary: The Executioner's Daughter. This dramatic third installment of the Apteeker Melchior trilogy shed light on other areas of Estonian history. In the foreground, so to speak, we follow Melchior Wakenstede as he unearths deception, corruption, and murder in the foggy streets and lanes of medieval Tallinn. The cast, writing, and direction were stellar, building a connection to the lives of Estonians at that time. One sees both tender love and the precarious nature of crime and punishment in a way that feels relatable and almost contemporary.
But in the background, in cruel, torch-lit chambers, we are shown the scourge of the Inquisition, scrutinizing the supposed heresies of the Estonian people and dominating the populace with fear, dogma, and the threat of execution. It’s an eye-opening subtext for the story.
If you feel you already know Estonia’s history well — from the time of the Hanseatic League to the Suur Põgenemine (Great Escape) — as well as the nation’s current affairs, the medium of film is sure to illuminate something new.
