The Nordic & Baltic Oscar Contenders series at Scandinavia House returns this season with select in-house and virtual screenings of films chosen by the Nordic & Baltic countries to compete for the Oscar nomination for the Best International Feature Film. On DATE TK at Scandinavia House, see the film On The Water (Vee peal; dir. Peeter Simm, Estonia, 2021), Estonia’s official nomination for the 94th Academy Awards.
Based a novel by Olavi Ruitlane, On the Water focuses on the life of preadolescent boy Andres, a gentle soul growing up in the care of his grandparents in small-town Soviet Estonia. He has no friends his own age, and his knowledge and friendships are limited to a few men living in his backyard – a former prisoner and hapless fishermen. His only escape is taking a fishing rod out onto a local lake where, as a skilled angler, he is at his happiest. A coming-of-age drama that balances comedy and adventure with more brutal realities, On The Water has been acclaimed as “a pleasant feel-good dreamed, characterized by a whimsical sense of humor and a charismatic young lead” (Cineuropa). (106 min. In Estonian with English subtitles)
“A poignant script, attractive production design and appealing performances bring something fresh to familiar coming-of-age tropes”—Variety
Tickets to this event must be purchased in advance online at the link above; film screenings will take place in Victor Borge Hall. All attendees are required to present proof of vaccination upon arrival in compliance with New York State government; read more here. Attendees are required to follow all Scandinavia House safety protocols, including wearing masks during the program and observing social distancing rules in signage. Please read our full safety protocols here.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Peeter Simm was born in 1953 in the small industrial multicultural town of Kivioli in Estonia. He studied physics at Nõo Gymnasium, and began his life in cinema in 1976, after graduating cum laude from the Film Directing Department of the State Institute of Cinamatography in Moscow (VGIK). Since then he has directed 13 feature films and 15 documentaries.
His films have successfully participated in Cannes, Berlin, Moscow and the Dark Nights Film Festival in Tallinn. He has also worked as a screenwriter, theatre director and continues to supervise feature film directors in the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School in Tallinn (BFM).