11-08-2011

PRODUCTION: The Russians of the Isle of Crows in Postproduction

By Iulia Blaga

    TALLINN: Sulev Keedus's social documentary The Russians of the Isle of Crows is in postproduction with a premiere scheduled for autumn 2011.

    Varesesaare venelased/ The Russians of the Isle of Crows is produced by Kaie-Ene Rääk and F-Seitse with a budget of 70,305 EUR, Rääk told FNE. The financing came from the Estonian Film Foundation (www.efsa.ee), Estonian Cultural Endowment (www.kulka.ee) and MEDIA Programme (http://ec.europa.eu). The 90 min, Digital Betacam, 16:9 documentary began editing on 2 August 2011. Keedus wrote the script and is also the DOP. Rääk is the editor. Shooting took place from March 2008 until May 2011, Rääk said.

    The story is built around a group of people: Yana, Alissa, Olesya, Vitya, Lena, Andrei, Igor, Sanya, Zhenya, Dima, Ilya, Tolik, Vaike, Sasha, Jekaterina, Pyotr, Oleg, Maksim, Vladimir, and Katya. The days and nights of all these people do not differ much from each other. They all share something - they share the same fate of the Isle of Crows. It is like a bad dream that no one can escape. Where can they run from it? Where is the city that offers salvation? The nostalgia for the good old Soviet days is mixed with the rage for lives wasted on lies. Is there hope for lives to be rebuilt from these ruins?

    Sulev Keedus, born in 1957, has directed three feature films and ten documentaries. His filmography includes the features Georgica (1998) and Somnambuul (2003), and the documentaries A Family (2004), Tormis' Sledge of Song (2005) and Jonathan from Australia (2007).

    Production Information

    F-Seitse

    Koidu 17-1

    10137 Tallinn, Estonia

    Phone: +372 601 5983

    www.fseitse.ee

    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    Credits

    Director: Sulev Keedus

    Script: Sulev Keedus

    DOP: Sulev Keedus

    Editor: Kaie-Ene Rääk

    Sound: Ivo Felt