From 19 to 21 September, the first Estonian Film Days in Ukraine film festival will be held at the Zhovten cinema in the capital.
The festival will open with the cult film NIMED MARMORTAHVLIL (Names on a Marble Slab) by renowned director Elmo Nüganen, who will personally present his work in Kyiv. The film’s plot unfolds during the Estonian War of Independence in 1918, when students and schoolchildren took up arms to defend their country.
The festival programme includes five Estonian films from different periods, reflecting the history, culture and unique atmosphere of the country:
- NIMED MARMORTAHVLIL (Names on a Marble Slab)
- 1944
- SAVVUSANNA SÕSARAD (The Bathhouse Sisters)
- NOVEMBER
- ELAVAD PILDID (Living Pictures)
In addition to film screenings, audiences will have the opportunity to meet directors Elmo Nüganen and Hardi Volmer, who will speak about their work and the characteristics of contemporary Estonian cinema. Festival organiser Inna Hordiyenko explained that the idea arose as part of the Cult Estonian Cinema for Ukrainians initiative, implemented last year in Tallinn by the Ukrainian Film Club in Estonia.
The Ukrainian Film Club was founded in 2023 – immediately after the start of the full-scale invasion – as there was an urgent need to support and promote Ukrainian culture and cinema. In two and a half years, the club organised about 30 screenings of Ukrainian films.
Most of these were documentaries about the war, as there were almost no feature films produced between 2022 and 2024 due to lack of funding. Among the few feature films shown were Mavka. The Forest Song, Dovbush, Black Raven, and Chedryk. The documentaries included well-known works screened at international festivals, such as Mariupol, Eastern Front, The Long Day of Alan Badoev, and many others.
The screenings took place not only in Tallinn, but also in various cities across Estonia – from small towns such as Sillamäe, Valga and Paide to larger centres including Tartu, Narva and Pärnu. The films were accompanied by English subtitles to attract not only Ukrainians, but also Estonians and expats. For some films, the club even prepared Estonian subtitles, including The House of Words, Endless Romance, Black Raven, and The Long Day.
“Last year, we decided to expand the project dedicated to Estonian cinema. With the help of experts, we selected the seven best Estonian films from different eras and created Ukrainian subtitles for them. These screenings in Tallinn were a great success. That is when the idea was born to show these films in Ukraine, to familiarise Ukrainian viewers with Estonian culture, history and cinema,” the organiser continued.
Five films from this selection were chosen for the Estonian Film Days in Ukraine. Two directors will accompany the screenings:
- Elmo Nüganen, an outstanding Estonian filmmaker, whose film NIMED MARMORTAHVLIL will be shown at the opening. The film is dedicated to the 1918 Estonian War of Independence, when students and schoolchildren defended their statehood.
- Hardi Volmer, director of ELAVAD PILDID, which will be shown on the second day of the festival. This film portrays Estonian history through the prism of one family’s life, from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day.
Estonian Film Days is organised by the Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Estonia with the support of the Estonian Ministry of Culture and the Estonian Embassy in Ukraine.
The organisers hope that the festival will contribute to deepening cultural dialogue between Ukraine and Estonia, as well as provide momentum for further cooperation in cinema. Admission to all screenings will be free.
It has also been announced that a special Ukrainian Day will take place at this year’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), an A-list international film festival.