Thierry, a cynical French vlogger, arrives in a remote village located in the Setomaa region, on the Estonian-Russian border. Having made a career out of visiting and exposing indigenous cultures around the world, he plays a humiliating prank on Silja, a young woman from the Seto community. But when Thierry books a stay in her cottage, the two are forced into unexpected proximity over the following days.
The film follows Silja’s inner journey, sparked by her uncomfortable encounter with Thierry. As she confronts his outsider gaze, she begins to rediscover her own Seto identity and re-examine the role gender plays within community and life. The clash between Thierry and Silja highlights broader tensions between cultural preservation and staging.
The cast includes Maria Paiste, Ingmar Jõela, and Katrin Pärn, along with members of the Seto community such as Sirid Pärtin and Katarina-Lee Saarekivi, whose performances of traditional leelo songs, rooted in local tradition and serving as a spiritual link to nature and the immaterial world, deepen the film’s connection to the sacred and natural world.
The theme of Restaged is identity, both in terms of ethnic belonging and gender. Beata Migas sheds light on the dynamic between indigenous communities who sustain themselves by selling their own culture, and the tourists who consume it.
„Technological development, globalisation, and the expansion of tourism have led to a crisis of cultural diversity. Everything has become accessible everywhere. Tourists, hungry for authentic experiences, pressure local communities to stage traditions they often have little genuine connection with. The expectations of travelers must be met within the realities of a capitalist world. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to truly grasp the truth about indigenous peoples”, Beata Migas told FNE.
Among the filming locations are the unique traditional Seto farm Luikjärve Talu, the Harakasoo tall horse stud, and the Härma müürid natural reservation. The film’s production involves an international team from Poland, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Argentina, and Italy.
Restaged is produced by Beata Migas of Haddock Entertainment (Poland) in coproduction with Edina Csüllög and Bogáta Timár of the Finno-Ugric Film Festival (Estonia), with support from the Estonian Film Institute, the Estonian Cultural Endowment, the Setomaa County and the Setomaa Cultural Programme.
The film was shot by the French cinematographer Benoît Pain in the Setomaa region, Estonia, in June 2025. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
Production Information:
Producer:
Haddock Entertainment (Poland)
Beata Migas: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Coproducer:
Finno-Ugric Film Festival (Estonia)
Credits:
Director: Beata Migas
Screenwriter: Beata Migas
DoP: Benoît Pain
Production manager: Piotr Kłos
Set designers: Jaana Nõu, Tõnu Valdur
Editor: Anton Wenzel, BFS
Colourist: Lilia Gross
Composer: Panos Topalidis
Sound designer & SFX Editor & Music Supervisor: Sofía Lasa
Re-recording mixer: Nicola Sulis
Cast: Maria Paiste, Ingmar Jõela, Katrin Pärn, Sirid Pärtin, Katarina-Lee Saarekivi
