Estonian director Triin Ruumet, whose feature debut “Days That Confused” won the special jury prize after its 2015 premiere in Karlovy Vary, is prepping her second feature film, “Dark Paradise,” which she’ll be presenting with producer Elina Litvinova this week at the Locarno Film Festival.
“Dark Paradise” is a modern adventure about a 27-year-old woman battling with grief and searching for love. When she perpetrates a violent act against her half-brother, she learns that the price she has to pay for crossing boundaries is solitude.
The film is “a story about young people caught in the carousel of life, and in a way coming of age in their thirties,” says Litvinova, of Tallinn-based Three Brothers. “It explores complex family relationships in a juicy manner that I believe will offer both laughter and emotional relief to the audiences.”
She continues: “Triin Ruumet is a one-of-a-kind female director: incredibly fierce and brave. Her passion lies in telling very human stories mixing realism with a unique atmosphere in her work.”
Ruumet says the film sprung from a dark period in her life, as she was contemplating the impending death of her father. “Life was changing, and it was better I did not know what was waiting for me ahead,” she says. “Everything fell apart, all the constructions. And then after a couple of years, most of my illusions as well.”
“Dark Paradise” has secured development financing from the Estonian Film Institute and Cultural Endowment Fund of Estonia. Litvinova is looking for a co-producer and hopes to find a partner in Locarno offering “creative input, especially for post-production.” The film is slated for a 2021 release.
Three Brothers recently released “Scandinavian Silence,” by director Martti Helde (“In the Crosswind”). A co-production with ARP Selection (France) and Media International (Belgium), with the support of Eurimages, the film won the Europa Cinema Label Award this year in Karlovy Vary. Currently in post-production is the second documentary feature by Vladimir Loginov, “Hippodrome,” produced by Allfilm.