Na Ventania

A strange film, especially in the way it is made. If you were expecting a gritty drama about the Soviet Gulag, which is kind of implied by the basic synopsis, you'll get something completely different. The main thing is told in words, basically letters written by one of the women imprisoned in the gulag. The imagery functions more as a lyrical embellishment, which may not necessarily appeal to everyone. (12/12/2016)

The story has the power of Arnold Schwarzenegger's biceps, a topic that has not yet been explored in cinema, and it is obviously made with enthusiasm and talent, care and knowledge, and simply honesty. Nevertheless, I have mixed feelings about this Baltic piece. The film experiments that appear at film festivals usually present a significant risk for the viewers because they can encounter a variety of things. I felt like a theatergoer who goes to see a play and accidentally wanders into a wax figure museum, meticulously crafted, intricately detailed, dramatically lit, and accompanied by an emotional commentary. With all due respect to the maker of the figures and the whole project, I would probably feel somewhat cheated. I can't claim that I wasn't warned, but I didn't take the information about the film seriously enough, or rather, I thought that the mentioned images would come alive at a certain point, and get moving. But then Martti Helde surprised me with the uncompromising nature of his artistic vision. From that moment on, when someone complains about the static nature of a film, I will give them a smack and recommend watching this film. If I had seen the film late at night, it would have had a more reliable effect on me than a dose of horse tranquilizers. It's all well and good that the images have an enchanting impressiveness, but what's the point when there is no more life in them than in a mummy's sarcophagus? A film made in a classical way, meaning I could perceive the dialogues, the acting of the participants, and the film music, would have had a much stronger impact on me, and I probably would not hesitate to give it the highest rating. Overall impression: 50%. (31/03/2015)