“Belarusfilm” film to take part in Berlinale
However, the film will be about Estonia and its producer is Estonian Peeter Simm.
The joint Belarusian-Estonian-Latvian film “Lonely Island” has been shot by “Belarusfilm”. The cutting, sound and music are ready and are being combined now. As Euroradio has found out, the filmmakers are going to present the film at Berlin International Film Festival but are afraid of not being able to finish everything in time.
"The commission is waiting for this film. We have to manage to finish it within a week. Then we will be able to present it to the Berlinale selectors, - explains general producer Gatis Upmalis. – We do not mention its creative quality because we do not doubt that it is present in the film. We have to be able to present good technical quality in time”.
Gatis Upmalis adds that if “Lonely Island” is not ready in time, it will be presented at other A-class festivals and advertised in Berlin market. The film producer and script writer, Peeter Simm, says that he knows how festival leader should be made. However, he has decided not to use the technique this time. He says that sad films are expected from Eastern Europe now. He would like to make a film for viewers and he does not want it to be as superficial as it is usually done.
"We wanted to express the way the cinema of the 60s felt like. That is why the film is rather conservative although it is a so-called “ensemble movie”. There are five groups of people not connected with each other in any way. They meet in a short period of time and it changes their lives, - Peeter Simm explains the essence of the film. – Our film’s idea is to show that people have not lost the feeling of sympathy. They can still help one another in a deadlock”.
According the plot, everything takes place in Tallinn. However, most scenes were shot in our country and the majority of the actors are Belarusians: Svyatlana Zelyankouskaya, Valeryya Arlanava, Іhar Sіhau and Veranіka Plyashkevіch.
"There is no tension typical of shooting a joint film. Moreover, Belarusian and Estonian filmmakers are close in some way.”, - Peetr Simm describes his impressions of working with the Belarusian team.
Interestingly, Euroradio has found out that most of the financing was provided by Belarus – more than a million euro while the budget was 1.24 million. However, if “Lonely Island” is shown at the Berlinale, it will represent Estonia.
Let us add that Peetr Simm and Gatis Upmalis won the “Panorama” program at the Berlinale with the film “Good Hands” in 2001 and received the LVT-Manfred-Salzberg Prize Audience Award.
Short description by “Belarusfilm”:
Personal life in a big city contains a lot of mysteries. A literature professor cannot understand his son – engine driver. The relations of a young teacher and a high-school pupil – son of an Estonian taxi-driver and Belarusian stewardess – are also difficult. Two friends, former sailors, are in love with one and the same woman and all the three have been unable to get out of the love triangle for many years. A little wheelchair ridden ballet dancer blames her mother for her misfortune… The protagonists find it difficult to solve the complicated personal problems and the only thing that can help them is the desire to forgive and understand themselves and people around them.
Photo by: belarusfilm.by
