Sügisball / Autumn Ball (Veiko Õunpuu, 2007)

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eerik
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 8:53 pm
Location: Estonia

Sügisball / Autumn Ball (Veiko Õunpuu, 2007)

#1 Post by eerik »

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About the movie:
Autumn Ball is a new Estonian film that talks about six inhabitants of Soviet-era tower blocks whose lives touch together, and who are all united by a feeling of loneliness. The young writer, Mati, lurks outside the window of his ex-wife and unsuccessfully approaches other women. August Kask is a bachelor-barber living a drab life who takes to a little girl, but his approaches are misconstrued as pedophilia. The single mom, Laura, watches a sappy soap opera on TV and pushes away men’s advances because she cannot trust them. Maurer, the architect, thinks about the wellbeing of humanity, but has forgotten his own wife, who, in turn, looks for solace in the coatroom attendant Theo. Women like Theo, but due to his low social status, they don’t take him seriously.

Autumn Ball tells a tale of human seclusion and the incapability to reach others. But you also find humor and the absurd, and the properly attuned viewer might even find oneself laughing out loud. If I were to define the film, I would say that Autumn Ball is a pitch black comedy about loneliness, despair and hope.

Veiko Õunpuu, director

The main characters in the film are played by Rain Tolk, Taavi Eelmaa, Juhan Ulfsak, Tiina Tauraite, Maarja Jakobson, Sulevi Peltola (Finland) and Mirtel Pohla.

Stills:
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Links:
Official webpage
Recent review with producer Katrin Kissa
Recent review with director Veiko Õunpuu
Sügisball @ IMDb.com
Trailer @ Youtube

Other information:
This movie will get a limited release in the US next week. More information @ StrandReleasing.

In my humble opinion "Sügisball" is the best Estonian movie ever. I highly recommend you to see it if you have a chance.

Here is some information about the screening in MoMA (New York) and here is the review from Variety.
statsman
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:03 am

Re: Sügisball / Autumn Ball (Veiko Õunpuu, 2007)

#2 Post by statsman »

In my humble opinion "Sügisball" is the best Estonian movie ever.
I will take this statement non-ironically (i.e., no remarks about "the best gas station sushi ever"), and try to catch it. :wink:
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eerik
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 8:53 pm
Location: Estonia

Re: Sügisball / Autumn Ball (Veiko Õunpuu, 2007)

#3 Post by eerik »

News:
  • First reviews heve been listed @ Rottentomatoes. New York Times gave it a positive review whereas Village Voice was not so praising.
  • They have also found a distributor in the UK. Stay updated Brits!
  • Publisher Phaidon is making a book about 100 most remarkable modern-day auteurs. Veiko Õunpuu will be included.
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Barmy
Joined: Mon May 16, 2005 7:59 pm

Re: Sügisball / Autumn Ball (Veiko Õunpuu, 2007)

#4 Post by Barmy »

Definitely the best Estonian film I have ever seen. :shock:
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eerik
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 8:53 pm
Location: Estonia

Re: Sügisball / Autumn Ball (Veiko Õunpuu, 2007)

#5 Post by eerik »

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eerik
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 8:53 pm
Location: Estonia

Re: Sügisball / Autumn Ball (Veiko Õunpuu, 2007)

#6 Post by eerik »

DVD will be released in the USA on September 22. Preorder is up at Amazon.com

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repeat
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:04 am
Location: high in the Custerdome

Re: Sügisball / Autumn Ball (Veiko Õunpuu, 2007)

#7 Post by repeat »

Sorry to bump such an old thread, but does eerik or anyone know if there's any reason to go for the Strand release over the Estonian DVD? (I tried googling but found nothing useful)
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