One sleepy Saturday morning, 30-year-old construction worker Erik gets some earth-shattering news: His ex-girlfriend Moonika, whom he hasn’t seen in six months, is about to go into labor with his child. Having decided that she isn’t ready for motherhood, Moonika is planning to put the little girl up for adoption — unless Erik steps up to the plate. In director Liina Triškina-Vanhatalo’s compassionate and thought-provoking portrait of a young man at a crossroads in modern Estonia, this is just the first of many difficult decisions Erik will need to make as he learns to become a hero of everyday life, one ready to fight tooth and nail in order to be a father. (Estonia, 2018)

Following the screening, producer Ivo Felt and director Liina Triškina-Vanhatalo will present a Q&A.

Liina Triškina-Vanhatalo studied Comparative Cultural Theory at the Estonian Institute of Humanities, and filmmaking at the European Film College in Denmark, as well as at the Film School of Catalonia at Barcelona University. Triškina-Vanhatalo is currently working as a freelance director and editor of documentaries, features and TV programs. 

Photo by Janis Kokk

Festivals and Awards:
Warsaw International Film Festival 2018,
Noordelijk Film Festival
Cottbus International Film Festival (Germany – Best Actor Award)
Arras Film Festival (Jury Special Mention, Critics’ Award)
AFI Fest
Palm Springs International Film Festival
20th edition of the Festival International du Film d’Aubagne Music & Cinema (Grand Prix)
Baltic Debuts Film Festival (Jury Special Mention)

ASF is pleased to co-present the second New York Baltic Film Festival at Scandinavia House with motion pictures from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. This year’s programming encompasses the theme of togetherness: on a personal level as well as in relationships and family history, and through the cooperation of various Baltic co-productions. It also shines through in films attempting to incorporate difficult or previously untold stories into contemporary national consciousness.

Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Way — when over 2 million people stood together in human chain linking the 3 capitals of Talllinn, Riga and Vilnius to peacefully call for their independence from the Soviet Union — this year’s festival aims to highlight the diversity of stories that make up the Baltic States. As a chain is made up of links, so a nation is made up of stories.

The 2019 New York Baltic Film Festival is presented by Scandinavia House and organized by the Consulate General of Estonia, Consulate General of Lithuania and Consulate of Latvia in New York. Programming is supported by the Estonian Film Institute, National Film Center of Latvia, and Lithuanian Film Center. Funding for the festival is courtesy of the governments of the Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and by the generous donations of members of the Baltic community in New York. Additional support to the festival is provided by the Lithuanian Culture Institute, and the American Scandinavian Foundation.