The Shadow
A gripping thriller about a silenced poet who dares to dream of the freedom of his homeland.
To quote the legendary Estonian poet Juhan Liiv: “My sun doesn’t recognize me; the night is left to me.” It’s 1894. In these dark and frightening times, a secret hope begins to bloom in the hearts of Estonians – a hope of breaking free from the chains of Russian rule. The courageous Juhan Liiv expressed these patriotic dreams in his poetry, only to be locked up in a psychiatric clinic in Tartu.
The brilliant actor Pääru Oja portrays the persona non grata of Juhan Liiv, solving mysteries in his gloomy homeland, guided by his inner whispers and his passion for helping Mari. The film follows Juhan’s struggle to defend himself against false accusations, deceitful friends, and worsening mental illness. Amidst this chaos, he still managed to dream and write about freedom – a concept unknown at the time, even in poetry.
Edvinas Pukšta
Jaak Kilmi was born on 23 October 1973 in Tallinn, Estonia. He graduated from Tallinn University (Baltic Film and Media School), majoring in film directing. He has co-directed and produced a string of successful short films, several documentary films, and three feature films. His films have been awarded internationally and have enjoyed successful theatrical runs in Estonia. He teaches film directing at Tallinn University.
Grand Prix for The Best Film, grant of 20 000 euros from the city of Tallinn, Award for Best Director, grant of 5000€ from Alexela
