Every year the Estonian Film Institute selects national entries for foreign language Oscars. A few years ago “Truth and Justice” by Tanel Toom narrowly missed the final five. Lets take a closer look at the movies concidererd worthy for Oscars last year.
The Nordic Western by Veiko Õunpuu “The Last Ones” is a co-production of Estonia, Finland and the Netherlands, set in the untamed Lapland tundra of northern Finland. It’s a story of hope and the quest for a better life; of hardship in overcoming greed and cruelty. A young miner Rupi (Pääru Oja) hopes to scrape together enough money to escape the harsh and dangerous life of a mining village. Work in the mine has come to a halt as Rupi’s father, the last reindeer herder in the area, refuses to sell his land to the vicious mine owner, “Fisherman” (Tommi Korpela).
The film depicts the heart wrenching loss of a traditional lifestyle in the face of capitalist greed and environmental damage. “Fisherman” interferes in a romantic relationship between Rupi and Riitta (Laura Birn), creating a gripping sub-plot. The story is enhanced by breath-taking super wide shots of epic tundra landscapes (taken by cinematographer Sten-Johan Lill), carrying the audience well beyond trivial, mundane horizons. The grand old man of Estonian film music, Sven Grünberg, gives the story a fitting soundtrack with references to classic melodies.
“My Dear Corpses” by the young director German Golub has already brought home the student Oscar. The film was produced as Golub’s graduation project from the Baltic Film and Media School ( Tallinn University Tallinn University is an Estonian higher education institution. ) and has been praised as the best Estonian film of 2020 by some critics. The story of a young man who, after losing his home, has to make a living by transporting corpses – a job that Golub has held himself – is a brave choice of topic. The story is told by a great cast in witty dialogue, with dark humour and soulful humanity.
The film debut by Kerli Kirch Schneider “Virago” is also a dark comedy, this time set in a southern Estonian village known for its high fatality rate among men. The film intertwines harsh reality with mystique and magic. “Virago” premiered at the Busan short film festival in South Korea and qualified for an Oscars’ nomination after winning the Grand Prix in Busan.
A third entry – “The Weight of All the Beauty” by Eeva Mägi – is a poetic and personal documentary set in a remote area on Saaremaa The largest island in Estonia(pop. 31,000). Island in the Sõrve peninsula. The protagonist, Villi, relates the stories of four friends who ended up being tricked by the “Vodka Spirit.” Now he lives alone in the village between the sea and forest. The only other inhabitants are protective old trees. “The Weight of All the Beauty” won the award for best documentary at the Melbourne Film Festival, earning a position in the Oscars competition.
The Oscars ceremony of the American Film Academy was held on the 25 th of April 2021. It went as expected - no Oscars for Estonia.