29-11-2009

ESTONIAN FOCUS: Buratino

By Martin Aadamsoo

    Buratino, Son of Pinocchio, an Estonian-Russian co-production released on March 12, was presented at this year's Berlin European Film Market as a previously unheard-of-genre piece: a juvenile musical trash-comedy.

    The film is very loosely based on Buratino, a Soviet-era Russian cult kid movie, itself based on a novel by Alexei Tolstoi which, in turn, drew its inspiration from the famous Pinocchio. But this time the target audience is no longer children but teenagers and young adults, with potential name recognition value for the middle-aged set in the former Soviet block.

    Buratino is directed by the debut Estonian helmer Rasmus Merivoo who embarked on the job while still studying at the Baltic Film and Media School in Tallinn. Merivoo also wrote much of the script, assisted by Kristin Kalamees.

    The film is the the product of an Estonian-Russian bilateral co-operation agreement in cinematography that allows both countries' producers access to each other's national film funding. The film is in Estonian but will be dubbed for Russian release. It was shot entirely in Russia, with a majority Estonian cast and crew. The film is reported to have a budget of €1.1 million, coming from Estonian and Russian funds, and EU MEDIA development programme. It was produced by Estinfilm and Marvofilm of Estonia and Planet Kino of Russia.

    www.buratinofilm.com


    Credits:

    Director: Rasmus Merivoo

    Scriptwriters: Kristin Kalamees, Rasmus Merivoo

    Director of Photography: Aleksander Kornejev

    Art Director: Natalija Kotšergina, Ljudmila Veselova

    Costumes: Irina Vais

    Sound: Igor Terekhov, Koit Pärna

    Music: Rainer Jancis

    Editor: Maarek Toompere

    Principal cast: Mikk Nurga, Jelena Radevich, Jaan Rekkor, Uku Uusberg, Alo Kõrve, Maria Solopchenko, Valeri Kuhhareshin

    Producers: Mati Sepping, Tiina Lokk, Dmitry Kabanovsky, Sergey Kabanovsky

    Produced by: Estinfilm, Marvofilm (Estonia), Planet Kino (Russia)

    Release date (Estonia): March 12, 2009

    www.estinfilm.ee