From September 19 to 21, Kyiv will host the inaugural film festival “Estonian Film Days in Ukraine,” showcasing a selection of films from Estonia.
The event is organized by the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Estonia and is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Culture and the Embassy of Estonia in Ukraine.
The festival will open with a screening of Nimed marmortahvli (“Names on the Marble Board”) by acclaimed Estonian director Elmo Nüganen, who will personally present the film to audiences.
The initiative for the festival originated from the Ukrainian Film Club in Estonia, established in 2023. Over the past two years, the club has screened more than 30 Ukrainian films in Tallinn and other Estonian cities. Last year, the club also launched the project “Meetings with Iconic Estonian Cinema,” presenting seven Estonian films with Ukrainian subtitles to introduce Ukrainian audiences to Estonian culture, history, and traditions.
For the Kyiv festival, organizers have selected five films representing different periods of Estonian cinema: Nimed marmortahvlil, 1944, Savvusanna sõsarad (“Sisters of the Sauna”), November, and Elavad pildid (“Living Pictures”). All screenings will take place at the Zhovten cinema.
In addition to the film showings, Ukrainian filmmakers and audiences will have the chance to meet and engage with renowned directors Elmo Nüganen and Hardi Volmer, fostering cultural exchange and closer collaboration between the Ukrainian and Estonian film communities.
