Animated Cinema in Estonia
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Animated Cinema in Estonia This tiny republic on the shores of the Baltic sea boasts a population of about 1.5 million inhabitants. Estonia is known for its quiet landscapes, its natural beauty, and a legendary collection of animated films. Estonia's foray into animation began in the 1930s, 27 years before the founding of its first official studio, Nukufilm. "Nuku", the Estonian word for "puppet" was a fitting title for the little studio, which began by working mostly with puppets. They joined up with the studio Joonisfilm, bringing new life to the burgeoning art of animation. |
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When the Soviet Empire collapsed, the ensuing economic fallout sounded the death-knell for several studios. The only studios to survive the collapse were Nukufilm and Joonisfilm, both of which were taken over by their staff of animator. Since 1991, the Estonian cartoon industry has flourished. From this golden age of animation came Priit Parn, Estonia's most renowned director. His early works, "Hotel E" and "Night of the Carrots" are absurdist masterpieces, highlighting the contradictory nature of life as a Soviet citizen. In 2006, Parn founded the Tallinn Animation School, bringing his unique vision and creative freedom to new animators from all over the world. |
Night of the Carrots |
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Frank & Wendy |
However, Pritt Parn is not the only talented director of animation in Estonia; Ulo Pikkov has enjoyed international acclaim for animated works such as "Bermuda"(1999) about the stormy relationship between a mermaid and a sailor, and "The Headless Horseman" (Peafa Ratsanik, 2001), a delightfully strange yet charming tale. Priit Tender's "Gravitation" (Gravitatsioon, 1996), "Viola" (1999) and "Mont Blanc" (2001) won several international awards while Kasper Jancis' "Weitzenberg Street" (Weitzenbergi tànav, 2002), received good reviews and public reaction. Joonisfilm presented "Frank & Wendy" (Frank ja Wendy) in 2005 at the Annecy Festival, a movie directed by Priit Tender, Kaspar Jancis and Ulo Pikkov which was inspired from a series written by Priit Parn. The current success of animated films from Estonia shows us that, just like in cartoons, with ingenuity, courage and perseverance, anything is possible. |
