Tiina Lokk, the director of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, presents the Estonian cult classic "A Stolen Meeting" (1988) at Karlovy Vary. The last feature of Leida Laius (1923-1996), one of Estonia’s most unique female filmmakers, was selected for "Out of the Past" film legacy section. The film will be presented by Piret Tibbo-Hudgins (producer) and Tiina Lokk (script editor).
A Stolen Meeting is a story about Valentina (Maria Klenskaja) who has just been released from prison somewhere in Soviet Russia. She embarks on a journey back to her native Estonia in order to seek out her eight-year-old son, whom she gave up several years before. A tenacious woman whose life has been defined by a lack of family support, she is determined to give her son a better life than the one she has lived so far.
The producer, Piret Tibbo-Hudgins said: "The theme of the film is timeless, but particularly relevant in today's hectic world - it speaks about human longing for love, home and understanding. Leida Laius created a world and a gallery of characters, every last one of whom deserves sympathy. It seems that this combination touched the souls of the festival programmers and we are only happy about it. Also, the movie is brilliantly restored, giving the impression of a thoroughly modern work of art."
The restoration was supported by ACE (Association des Cinémathèques Européennes) strand “A Season of Classic Films”, belonging to the Creative Europe MEDIA programme.
Find out more at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Meet PÖFF people at Karlovy Vary!
Tiina Lokk
Maria Plees
Marge Liiske
Mirjam Teiss
Edvinas Pukšta
Laurence Alan Boyce