Set on the Estonian side of the Narva river, against the backdrop of the Russian border, Totem revolves around the legendary Soviet T-34 tank, perched on a pedestal to commemorate the advancement of Soviet troops to Estonia during WWII. Thirty years after Estonia regained its independence, this Soviet relic still stands with the cannon ominously aimed westward. After the start of the war on Ukraine, the Estonian government initiated the removal of the forgotten monument, but Russian-speaking residents rallied to protect their tank and everything it embodies.

Birgit Rosenberg describes Totem as an emotionally loaded documentation of events over one turbulent summer at a far side of Europe. Through semantically tense location and scenes, observational storytelling and deeply personal interviews, the film explores issues as conflicting identities, histories, propaganda, and the unresolved personal and collective trauma.

Totem is funded by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and the Estonian Film Fund. The film has been developed at Ice and Fire Docs and the Baltic Sea Docs forum. The total budget is 100,000 EUR.

The main shooting phase took place in 2022 with additional shooting days added in the following years. The team is currently working with the archives.

With a release planned in 2025, Totem will appeal to audiences interested in history, politics, and cultural studies, as well as festival circuits seeking thought-provoking, timely narratives. Sales inquiries can be directed to Door 2 Productions.

Production Information:

Producer:
Door 2 Productions (Estonia)
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Credits:
Director: Birgit Rosenberg
Screenwriter: Birgit Rosenberg
DoPs: Aivo Rannik, Nele Aunap, Ivo Panasjuk
Sound: Indrek Soe