Art and the Cold War

ESTONI FILM SUMMER

Over the past few years, dozens of Estonian feature films, animations, short films and documentaries have been screened, and some of them turned out to be huge audiences. Since a lot of films were screened and not all of them got equal screen time and attention, with the ESTONIAN FILM SUMMER program we are giving you the opportunity to watch Estonian films that have been screened in recent years until the end of August, which you should definitely see on the cinema's big screen together with the audience. In addition, we are also introducing a new way to support Estonian film - for this, the Estonian film supporter's ticket. This is a voluntary ticket option, the sole purpose of which is to support Estonian filmmakers. A total of 33 Estonian films will be screened, and among them are the secret premiere of a new Estonian film (25.07), "Come messages" (dir. Kairi Kivirähk), "8 Faces of Biwa Järve" (dir. Marko Raat), "Kellere ma naeratan?" and "Mo Mamma" (dir. Eeva Mägi), "Invisible Struggle" (dir. Rainer Sarnet), "Päikeseage" (dir. Liis Nimik), "Ilvesmees" (dir. Juha Suonpää) and many other films. Screenings will take place until the end of August. "Art and the Cold War" is a story about the relationship between independent Soviet art and the West. From a time when art was bigger and more important than life itself. From an era that has never existed in Estonian art before and probably won't come again. On one side, there are independent Soviet artists who lack both an outlet and material opportunities to realize their works, on the other side is the attractive West, whose (literally) representatives take an active interest in the Soviet underground art market. Selling your works to the West is a complicated business, because the all-powerful KGB stands between two camps interested in each other. Nevertheless, artists mainly from Estonia and Moscow manage to sell and have an amazing amount of visual art taken across the border. This becomes possible mainly thanks to the Western diplomats, behind whose coordinated activities the hairy hand of none other than the CIA can be seen.