Friday, March 2, 2012

Graveyard keeper’s Daughter by Katrin Laur (2011)


Digging up the dirt in Estonia.
Review by Helen Schasmin




Where does the line between film and reality cross with interpretation, where is the indemnity of overloaded realism? There are a lot of complex questions we need to ask ourselves while watching Estonian film. It seems often that filmmakers feel the urge to deal with too many topics and levels of understanding and so is the case with the film Graveyard Geeper’s Daughter (Surnuaiavahi tütar). Poverty is a major issue in Estonian society, even nowadays and it is a smart gesture to use the film medium to attract people’attention on this issue. Katrin Laur’s film does it ambitiously but also try to deal with too many issues, letting the feeling of an overloaded pile of information.

The film focuses on the ruination of a family caused by alcoholism, unemployment and poor living conditions. In the middle of the downfall spiral is a young schoolgirl Lucia who struggles with her school assignments and at the same time tries to take care of her sister with Down’s syndrome. The family undergoes a spare moment of joy when the father can take his family to Finland where he has been invited. But as they return to Estonia nothing has really changed – not in their personalities, ambitions or mentality.


Estonia vs Finland

The comparison of the two countries – Estonia and Finland, leads to an unrealistic touch. It raises unanswered questions like: why would a poor family come back to their broken Estonian home after having experienced the freedom and opportunities of a welfare society? There is no reflection about this choice. Was it willing or mandatory? Nor is there a hint how the trip influenced them later on. What is more, the film puts all Estonian negative stereotypes in one spotlight and expects it to work. Instead of that it raises just more questions: if there is no escape from the character’s everyday problems and no solutions to them, should not that be handled throughout metaphors and allegories, not just be bluntly put on the screen? Clumsy dialogues and poor acting of the young protagonist make it worse. Overall it seems that the actors do not connect to each other, alienate from their roles, and instead of blending to each other and creating opposites or varieties, it feels like the links between them are unnatural and have been unfolded. Fortunately is the leading male character (Rain Simmul) excellent in his part and he seems to carry the plot on well, as if he was made for the part. Tough his role does not seem to be very challenging, it is still enjoyable and gives the film some diversity.

Despite of the depressive theme of the Graveyard Keeper’s Daughter, the image of the film is very colorful, soft and enlightening. Wonderful camera movements by cinematograph Anssi Leino are full of bright coulors give the film a beautiful touch that captures the Estonian landscape and all its individuality. Also the social life environment of Estonian countryside has been captured very truly and adequately, it can be considered a success. The work of the sound designers must be complimented. Lucia’s voice over has been tuned so that it sounds like her speaking but it is actually an older actress who gave her voice to the character. Unfortunately that kind of action leads to a conflict: Lucia’s character’s emotions become repulsive, no childish emotions are left in it and it feels violent in the end.


One question remains at the end : is film the only place to exhale the depression of nationality? A simple answer would be: no. In Graveyard Keeper’s Daughter this serious theme has been handled poorly. Problems have been glutted on top of each other without beeing truly developed to a solution. Estonians are perfectly aware of the social problems. There are plenty of nice and positive things in life to enjoy and interpret in films. The time of overloaded realism in Estonian film medium is over, welcome to the happy endings. 

2 comments:

  1. Tere! Jätkake palun seda blogi ja ärge laske sellel ära vajuda. Väärt asi.

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  2. Tere, Tristan!

    Meil siin on plaanis võimalikult kiires tempos edasi arendada ja kohe kindlasti püüame vältida blogi soigu vajumist.

    Lisaks arvustustele jätkame ka festivalide ülevaadete, intervjuude, biograafiate ja muude samalaadsete artiklite kirjutamisega.


    Tervisi,
    Estonian Film Students

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