Mirtel Pohla Movies
A group of desperate oddballs from the former U.S.S.R. find their lives intersecting in illuminating and surprising ways as they strive for elusive happiness, in Autumn Ball, Estonian director Veiko Õunpuu's poetic and slightly absurdist tragicomedy. The time and place: far Eastern Europe, just after the fall of the Iron Curtain but before the resurgence in economic growth among the Baltic states. In these environs, we visit one of the bleak government-financed housing estates that scattered the Soviet landscape just prior to Communism's demise. Residents include Theo (Taavi Eelmaa), a cloakroom attendant in a restaurant who "collects" lonely women and enjoys affairs with them; Kaski (Sulevi Peltola), a hairdresser whom many suspect of pedophilia given his unhealthy interest in the schoolgirl Lotta (Iris Persson); Mati (Rain Tolk), a writer sent into a devastating personal crisis (and severe alcoholism) when his wife, Jaana (Mirtel Pohla), leaves him; Maurer (Juhan Ulfsak), an architect slightly more well-to-do than the others, who embodies the bright economic future of Estonia; and Lotta's mother, Laura (Maarja Jakobson), a single parent struggling to make ends meet via hardscrabble labor in a garment factory. Like Õunpuu's premier effort, the 43-minute feature Empty, this material was adapted from the writings of Mati Unt. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rain Tolk, Taavi Eelmaa, (more)
- 2007
The true story of Georg Ots, one of Estonia's greatest singing stars, is brought to the screen in this biographical drama. Georg Ots (played by Marko Matvere) was born in 1920 into a musical family -- his father was an operatic tenor who encouraged his boy to sing, and Georg began studying voice while pursing a degree in Engineering in his early twenties. Georg had a strong, rich baritone which impressed his teachers, but he was forced to set aside his studies when he was drafted to fight in World War II. While serving in the Soviet army, Georg met Asta Saar (Anastasiya Makeyeva), a lovely woman with a talent for dancing, and the two fell in love. After the war, Georg and Asta were married and both were fortunate enough to be selected as members of Estonia's national theater. However, while Georg soon rose to fame as his nation's finest operatic vocalist, Asta's career as a ballet artist stalled, and she turned to alcohol to soothe her disappointment. Eventually, Georg and Asta divorced and he would wed a glamorous model, Ilona (Karin Touart), but despite his fame in Estonia, Russia and Finland, where he performed many of the great operatic roles, Georg was frustrated by his inability to perform in Europe and the West due to the tensions of the Cold War. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marko Matvere, Anastasiya Makeyeva, (more)
- 2005
Estonian history gets a topsy-turvy interpretation in this satiric comedy from director Kaaren Kaer. Uru (Ott Sepp) is an adventurous young man who has been getting in touch with his compassionate side while studying at a monastery. When he comes back home to Estonia, he finds things are not as he might have hoped; both France and Germany are trying to lay claim to his homeland, and the nation is preparing itself for a long battle to win its independence. Despite his non-violent philosophy, Uru is drawn into the war to free his people, though it soon becomes evident neither strategy or combat skills are his strong suit. Malev (aka Men At Arms) was written by members of O-Fraktsioon, a noted Estonian sketch-comedy troupe. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ott Sepp, Mirtel Pohla, (more)
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