REVIEW Tree of Eternal Love

Enthusiasm & Energy

Tree of Eternal Love, a feature debut by two completely unknown filmmakers, is an unbelievably strong and comprehensive film that despite its low budget has been realized at its best.

Youth film Tree of Eternal Love ignores a majority of the conventional logic that has been valid in today’s Estonian film industry. Filmmakers Meel Paliale and Urmet Piiling have not studied at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (instead, both of them are students at the Estonian Academy of Arts); they have no more experience of

Ink Big!

The critics have done their job

filmmaking than just a few smallscale experiments. And despite that, they have been entirely fearless: for their first large-scale project, Piiling and Paliale chose a fulllength feature film and were supported by producers Rain Rannu and Tõnis Hiielaid from the production company Tallifornia. And here is the result: an astonishingly complete and strong debut film made by two completely unknown Tree of Eternal Love By Kaspar Viilup First published in Sirp

filmmakers, that despite its low budget has been realized at its best.

Estonian feature film Bad Hair Friday (2012) was made in quite a similar way – when Arun Tamm and Andres Kõpper, both with the background in advertising, poured their love for film into a farcical action comedy. The full-length debut feature by Tamm and Kõpper applied the elements of trash aesthetics used in television films contributing to a frenetic energy; whereas Tree of Eternal Love is clean and polished, every frame has been meticulously formed. And despite the youthful vitality and energy in Tree of Eternal Love, the film is far from what one usually thinks of as a debut film.

The film also sends the message that today’s young generation of filmmakers have excellent possibilities and access to professional filming equipment, as well as software. If there is a will, there is a way – what is required is a good idea, clear vision and – surprise, surprise! – a love of film. In this case, a big film crew and huge budget won’t be a priority. A love of film unites both Tamm and Kõpper as well as Piiling and Paliale – they all can be called great film fans, or if you like, film nerds. The young filmmakers won’t even try to hide it in their films, quite the opposite – they generously share various allusions to their favourite films and authors, while shamelessly borrowing elements and redefining these in favour of their own artwork.

Clearly, this method might make more cynical viewers angry, but for a young filmmaker this is an excellent starting point to develop a first film project. In a way, this is what distinguishes a film fan from a filmmaker. Personally, I wouldn’t have the courage to poke into the film heritage of my all-time favourites in order to steal elements for my own film. But it makes me very happy to realize that there are people who are doing it!

It will take less than ten minutes to recognize Piiling and Paliale’s love towards Wes Anderson’s artwork. Considering the fact that Anderson is one of the most unique filmmakers with an identifi-

Tree of Eternal Love can be described as a classical road movie with a touch of dark humour.

It will take less than ten minutes to recognize the director’s love towards Wes Anderson’s artwork. able style, and whose visual tricks are in a way parodically excessive, Piilin and Paliale could have easily failed in their task; however, the filmmakers have reduced every unnecessary element in Tree of Eternal Love. What remains is the raw material: the key scenes of the film have been constructed with the symmetric compositions characteristic of Wes Anderson’s films. Also, the young filmmakers have chosen an experimental approach towards colouring – everything is so bright and vivid as if covered by some kitschy Instagram filter.

A classical road movie (in a good sense) is being unrolled, with quite a silly motive – the characters have to chop down a tree that has the names of the protagonist and his ex-girlfriend carved into the trunk. Such degree of absurd definitely adds value to a good road movie. The journey of two good friends leading to that tree is nothing but smooth: the tires of their car are stolen, their gas runs out, and so on. And yet, the storytelling

won’t leave an exaggerated feeling; instead, the overall atmosphere is pleasantly easy going, light, and perhaps even with the touch of indifference. Paliale and Piiling seem not to take their film too seriously, letting the film flow by itself, giving the viewer the opportunity to feel good, sit back, and travel along.

Unpretentiousness is certainly one the strongest characteristics of Tree of Eternal Love and this disarms both the audience and film critics. How can one criticize a feel-good film after all? Although, even good-humour as a concept may quickly exhaust the viewer, and can gradually make a film hollow, but here the final result is absolutely balanced – a dream-like journey full of nostalgia. The protagonists’ careless adventure evokes long-gone memories of childhood summers – when one could carelessly spend the long days full of play and fun without thinking of school or work.

Even if there might be the impression that Paliale and Piiling intended to copy Hollywood-like motifs with their debut feature, Tree of Eternal Love is a pure Estonian film in its essence. In a way, the film pays homage to Estonian summer, trying to record the sun, the warm summer breeze and then offering a piece of it to every viewer. The reality of Estonian regional life is reflected with light hearted humour: rural people are depicted as simple-minded, innocent simpletons. Yet, laughing at them is not seen as something malicious but rather as something warm and supporting, whereas the filmmakers have made their conscious choice to avoid associations with real life. Tree of Eternal Love takes place in an abstract time and space, that could also be the present day, but nothing refers to it in the film.

It is a pleasure to perceive that Tree of Eternal Love attempts to expand the perspectives of Estonian film, and we will (or perhaps we already have?) reach closer to the authentic film culture where at one end there is arthouse cinema, and at the other end popular comedies – and in-between there is space for millions of other smaller niche genres. The debut film by Piiling and Paliale can be categorized as a youth film – a category that is rather uncommon in Estonia; however, the categorization is not that accurate. It is more like a film from young people addressed to young audiences. And the purpose is not necessarily to remain within the borders of a certain genre but to be youthfully adventurous, energetic, ingenuous, and even a bit naive. Unfortunately, we have not too many such full-length feature films.

Would young people want to watch this kind of a film? Well, I hope so, even if Piiling and Paliale’s nerdy love of film might become too much for some. Even if the film will be unnoticed by wider audiences – it is possible that cinemagoers won’t pay to see a film by unknown filmmakers, especially during a time when the field of film has suffered from the impacts of Coronavirus – then at least for rising filmmakers, Tree of Eternal Love should definitely be an encouraging proof that even young professionals are able to make good films in Estonia. If there is at least one person who gets the same idea while watching Tree of Eternal Love, and finds the strength to start a new film, then the debut by Piiling and Paliale has definitely succeeded.

Those ready to give the film a chance, will definitely leave the cinema hall in a good mood. It is clear that the Estonian actors, even those involved with episodic roles in Tree of Eternal Love, have fully enjoyed their odd, yet good-hearted, characters. The joy of doing in the film is almost contagious, and makes the audience forgive both a few errors of logic, and at times the uneven tempo.

Undoubtedly, Tree of Eternal Love is one of the strongest domestic debut features, and I am already anticipating with excitement the filmmakers’ next move. It also seems that Tallifornia is about to find its right place: whereas with the film American Summer it was unclear which direction the production company was moving in, then feature films Kratt and Tree of Eternal Love prove that it is possible to make a popular film for larger audiences in Estonia – a film that won’t underestimate the viewer, but also have courage to be provocative as well as experiment with boundaries. EF

Tree of Eternal Love is an astonishingly complete and strong debut film made by Meel Paliale and Urmet Piiling.