Toomas Tahvel
Directing
Biography
Toomas Tahvel (January 2, 1941 – June 8, 1997) was an Estonian film director. He mostly worked on documentaries, but tried a hand on a few fiction film projects also. For example, he gained notoriety for the short fiction film “Poacher”, which was one of the films from cassette “Daisy Petal Game” (1977). Tahvel has worked under Tallinnfilm, where he mainly focused on directing feature films. Later on he moved to the next chapter and started to play with the documentary genre. Under Tallinnfilm he released “On the shore of the Sea of Japan” (1980) and under Estonian Telefilm he did the rest of his documentaries. Most attention attracted the film “Sajandiring” (1985), which talked about Estonians emigration to the Caucasus.
Known For
A three episode film consisting of three short films: "Promenade", "Poacher" and "Tattoo". The action of the films takes place in the 1930s in Estonia.
Daisy Petal Game
Joonas and Tiidrik are two men from the island of Saaremaa who recklessly escape from the German prison during the First World War. Yet, there are no peaceful times in their home country neither.
Gladiator
Ülo and Olev think the German occupation is humiliating and the soldiers are arrogant. But even among Estonians there are people who cannot be trusted - this can have fatal consequences. Witty schoolboys find out that Mr Velirand, who has moved in the apartment that once belonged to their teacher, is a henchman of Fascists. The boys make up their minds to give people warning about the provocator, even if the rebellion is risky and their opponent superior, as it had been in the St George's Night Uprising in 1343.
Fire in the Night
The coastal people of Kaugatoma set out to build their own ship to earn a living independent of the baron's will. The baron does everything to prevent the venture, but still "Kaugatoma" raises its white sails. Unfortunately, the power of money turns out to be decisive both in the organization of joint activities and in the relations of the strong-natured captain Tõnis Tihu with the community and his loved ones. He abandons Liisu, with whom he has a son, and marries a wealthy widow. As a captain, he has the power to look after the welfare of the sailors, but he thinks more about his own safety. However, the winds of 1905 are already blowing over the sea.
Windy Beach
The story is about a woman, who has to heat up the company's sauna, because the bosses want to entertain foreign visitors. The sauna is situated in a small village where her ex-husband is from, and an old aunt of his is still living. In addition to having to face her bosses she also has to face her past.
A Woman Heats the Sauna
The events take place in Estonia in a summer in the 1960s. The Boy and the Girl want to go from mainland Estonia to the island of Saaremaa, but they do not have any money to buy the ticket to the ferry. They manage to hide themselves into a lorry that carries hay. Because they are smoking while they are on the lorry, a fire breaks out. The problem is, that the ferry is in the middle of the sea.
The Midday Ferry
Martin Puri is an elderly fisherman who is told to retire because of his old age. When a group of people has to be saved from a boat in an autumn storm, Martin understands that one cannot act against the sea but together with it.