YEREVAN–TALLINN – Kristiina Davidjants (born in 1974, Baku) is an Estonian film director and producer and cinema journalist. In 2001, she earned a bachelor’s degree in film and video direction (with a specialization in documentary filmmaking) from the Faculty of Cultural Studies at Tallinn Pedagogical University, and in 2023 she received an MFA in TV and Screenwriting. Her siblings — Jaana, Brigitta, and David Davidjants — are also active in the arts.
Kristiina, I remember your film, “The Intimate City,” which was screened at the inaugural Yerevan Film Festival and received the jury’s special prize. Since then, you’ve directed several other films, mainly documentaries. What subjects interest you most in filmmaking?
Probably, the people who don’t fit into the general pattern are the closest theme to me, which makes sense from a filmmaking perspective, since any internal or external conflict is the basis of storytelling. At the moment, I have been working more as a producer, focusing on documentary films, but as a director, my documentary film “Tallinn Is Burning” is expected to be released this fall. It explores punk music and its role in Soviet-era Estonia. Additionally, I am developing a feature film, although it is still too early to say much about it.
My most recent produced documentary, “Art and the Cold War,” follows a similar theme by telling the story of representatives of unofficial art in Tallinn and Moscow who, despite the Cold War, tried to express themselves and find a way to Western art enthusiasts. The film’s director, Sandra Jõgeva, comes from a family of artists herself, providing valuable insider insight.
In 2019, your book Eesti filmi 100 aastat (100 Years of Estonian Film) was published. How would you describe cinema as a cultural phenomenon in Estonia and its role in Estonian society?
Estonian cinema has gone through different periods. Until the Soviet occupation in 1940, films were made quite actively here, and reading the criticism from that time, it’s quite amusing to realize that the same complaints have persisted over the years: not engaging enough, budget too small, ambitions not matched by execution, and so on. During the Soviet era, we had some brilliant flashes, but the best period has definitely been the last 15-20 years, when the domestic audience has discovered Estonian cinema and our films have also gained widespread international recognition.
