International premiere

On a String

Local title
Pingul keel
Original title
On a String
Director
Isabel Hagen
Country
USA
Year
2024
Festival
29th Black Nights Film Festival
Programme
First Feature Out of Competition
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Subject
familial relationships, music

A quirky indie film about a violist hitting all the wrong notes in love, ambition, and the chaos of post-college life.

Isabel is a Juilliard-trained violist who is still living with her eccentric family in New York. She is trying to make it as a musician, performing in string quartets in strangers’ apartments and taking on odd freelance gigs while navigating the daily hustle of postgraduate life. When her charming but toxic ex-boyfriend reappears as the Philharmonic’s rising star, he offers her a coveted orchestra audition that could change her career. Suddenly, Isabel finds herself caught between ambition, romance, and the messy comedy of growing up a little later than planned.

With its sharp wit and heartfelt humour, “On a String” revives the spirit of the classic American indie – intimate, smart, and irresistibly funny – a playful story about searching for love, purpose, and the courage to take centre stage in your own life.

Triin Tramberg

Director
Isabel Hagen
Screenwriter
Isabel Hagen
Cast
Eric Bogosian, Dylan Baker, Charlotte Ray Rosenberg, Isabel Hagen, Frederick Weller, Jamie Lee, Ling Ling Huang
Producer
Isabel Hagen, Olivia Vessel, Torrance Shepherd, Alex Vara, Annie McGrath
Cinematographer
Zac James Nicholson
Production Design
Mary Marxen
Editing
Olivia Vessel
Music
Will Canzoneri
Production
Dweck Productions
Runtime
Language
English
Subtitles
Estonian
Director
Isabel Hagen

Isabel Hagen (1998) is a stand-up comedian and classically trained violist based in New York City. She has been featured twice on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as a stand-up comedian. Isabel started stand-up immediately after earning her Bachelors and Masters degrees in viola performance from The Juilliard School. As a violist, she has played in the orchestra of many Broadway shows, and worked with artists such as Björk, Max Richter, Japanese Breakfast, Steve Reich and Vampire Weekend.

Filmography:
On a String (2025)

Screenings

2nd Hall Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Screening130221 / Pingul keel
SubtitlesEstonian
Q&A duration
Screening duration