We will watch a selection of the newest world-class nature films and discuss them in Estonian.
The goal of the Matsalu International Nature Film Festival is to introduce and promote new nature and environmental films and to increase people’s awareness and interest in nature. The festival promotes a nature-friendly and sustainable way of life and respect for the traditions of indigenous peoples, which are deeply connected to nature.
For the third year in a row, it is possible to watch a selection of the newest and best films from the festival in Narva as well.
Let's meet in Narva Estonian Language House (Linda 2, Narva). Pre-registration is not necessary. Just show up!
PROGRAMME 2 October 2022
12.00 Superbirds - The Secret Life Of Tits (ENG, subtitles EST) (53 min)
Germany | 2022 | 53’ | Language: English | Subtitles: Estonian | Watch the trailer
Tits are intelligent, adaptable and sometimes cheeky. They are among our best-known and most popular domestic birds. Whether in the garden, in the forest or in the city, they can be found everywhere, chirping their song from the trees. We seem to know them very well – and can’t imagine a world without tits. But what do we really know about these common birds? Much of their life remains hidden from us. Do they have everyday problems, neighborhood disputes and jealousy dramas? It's time we take a closer look at the lives of our feathered friends, because no two tits are alike!
13.30 The Elephant & the Termite (ENG, subtitles EST) (52 min)
United Kingdom | 2021 | 52’ | Language: English | Subtitles: Estonian| Watch the trailer
Together, elephants and termites create waterholes. This is the remarkable story of the relationship between Africa’s largest and smallest and the unique biodiversity that they support. It is the story of a seasonal African waterhole in southern Kenya - an extraordinary web of interdependency and the circle of life as never seen before. All from the perspective of a cast of animal characters that live at elephant toe-nail height. It is the intriguing story of their struggle to survive and raise families before their world turns to dust.
15.00 The Great Swamp (EST) (51 min)
Estonia | 2022 | 51’ | Language: Estonian | Subtitles: English | Watch the trailer
Vello moved to the farthest swamp island of Emajõe-Suursoo 30 years ago. He left his previous labor life and the city to live in harmony with the mother of nature. There is still such a nature in Emajõe-Suursoo that is vanishing from the rest of the world. The vast delta allows the species to live on its own, without much human intervention, even though man has been seeking refuge and food supplements in the swamp for thousands of years. Vello makes a living from beekeeping and hunting, his life flows in the rhythm of nature.
17.00 Pleistocene Park (ENG, subtitles EST) (100 min)
USA | 2022 | 100’ | Language: English Russian | Subtitles: English, Estonian | Watch the trailer
Seeking no one’s help and asking nobody’s permission, Russian geophysicist Sergey Zimov and his son Nikita are gathering any large wooly beast they can get their hands on, and transporting them, by whatever low budget means they can contrive, to the most remote corner of Siberia. They call their project Pleistocene Park. The goal: restore the Ice Age “mammoth steppe” ecosystem and avoid a catastrophic feedback loop leading to runaway global warming. Sergey would know: fifteen years ago he published in the journal Science showing that frozen arctic soils contain twice as much carbon as the earth’s atmosphere. These soils are now starting to melt. Can two Russian scientists stave off a worst case scenario of global environmental catastrophe and reshape humanity’s relationship with the natural world?
19.30 Black and White Big Cats (ENG, FRA, subtitles ENG, EST) (53 min)
France | 2021 | 53’ | Language: English French | Subtitles: English Estonian | Watch the trailer
This documentary immerses us alongside French photographer Laurent Baheux, in the heart of the African bush, chasing three fascinating felines. The lion, king of the savannah, powerful, majestic and vulnerable at the same time. The graceful cheetah, so quick but so fragile. The leopard, a silent and ghostly predator. All around, a delicate and threatened nature. Laurent is ready to seize what it has to offer him, he expects nothing in particular, always humble in his relationship with animals. He captures the beauty of the moment, the play of lights, the harmony of the scenes.
NB! Most films are in English with Estonian subtitles. Each film is followed by a discussion in Estonian.
The documentaries taking part in the Matsalu Nature Film Festival are being screened in cooperation with the Integration Foundation’s Estonian Language House in Narva. Attendance of both the screenings and the discussions before and after them is free of charge.
You can find more information about the films and the festival on the festival's website www.maff.ee/en.
