NEWS
An
Antidote
to the Eat-Pray-Love The new feature film Dark Paradise, directed by award-winning director Triin Ruumet (The Days that Confused, 2016), has entered the post-production phase. The film with the budget of 1.5 million EUR is produced as a co-project of Estonia and France. By Maria Ulfsak Photos by Heikki Leis, Virge Viertek and Felix Laasme
T
he producers of the film are Elina Litvinova (Three Brothers) and Jeremy Forni (Chevaldeuxtrois). The film will be completed by the first half of 2022, yet the premiere in Estonia is planned for spring 2023. Triin Ruumet completed the screenplay of Dark Paradise in collaboration with Livia Ulman and Andris Feldmanis who are also the screenwriters of Compartment No. 6 – a feature film whose screenplay was completed together with director Juho Kuosmanen, and nominated for the Golden Globe, and shortlisted for the Academy Award in the Best International Feature Film category. PERSONAL AND UNIVERSAL STORY
Dark Paradise follows a 27-year-old woman called Karmen. After her father’s death, she commits an atrocious
4
ESTONIAN FILM
act against her half-brother Viktor. Now she must face the dark void of the universe. At the centre of the film is the hedonistic lifestyle and nihilistic search for love and intimacy. Actors Rea Lest and Jörgen Liik are the main protagonists, both of them known internationally for their main roles in November (directed by Rainer Sarnet). Juhan Ulfsak, Maria Avdjushko, Kaie Mihkelson and Reimo Sagor also play in the film. The cinematographer is Erik Põllumaa, the production designer is Matis Mäesalu, and the costume designer is Liis Plato. The producer of the film Elina Litvinova says: “In my opinion, Triin Ruumet as the screenwriter and the director is the high-end professional of her generation, telling both very personal and universal stories. With her strong, unique style, Ruumet can raise serious topics, and show these things through a prism
Elina Litvinova
of comedy, which is essential considering the audience. Together with co-screenwriters Andris Feldmanis and Livia Ulman, our common purpose was to narrate a multi-layered and complicated story about young people, and to do that in an entertaining way using pop
