Torontonians met with the celebrated Estonian director Peeter Simm at the pre-EstDocs event on Sept 9th at Tartu College. Screening of his film Georg was followed by a Q&A.
Simm was more than happy to share anecdotes about the making of the film and of his research regarding Georg Ots. Simm even showed scenes that did not make it into the film, since it needed to be shortened. Simm later mingled with guests to answer one-on-one questions.
Next EstDocs pre-event is the Short Film competition on October 2 at the Stephen Bulger Gallery, 1026 Queen St W, Toronto. Doors open at 7:30 pm.
Background information regarding Peeter Simm:
Peeter Simm was born in 1953 in Kiviõli, Estonia. He began his career in cinema in 1976, graduating cum claude from the Moscow State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK). Since then, Simm has directed 12 feature films and 11 documentaries, and has also worked as a theatre director.
His first full-length feature “Ideal Landscape” (Ideaalmaastik, 1980) was banned and screened in public only in 1990 and was chosen as one of the best Estonian films of all time. Paradoxically Simm‘s second feature “Arabella, Pirates’ Daughter” (Arabella, mereröövli tütar, 1983) attracted 9,2 million viewers in the former USSR. His feature film “Good Hands” (Head käed, 2001) received several international awards, including the Manfred Salzgeber Prize at Berlin International Film Festival (Germany) and previous film “Georg”, a biopic of legendary Estonian opera singer Georg Ots, was released in 2007 and became a national box-office hit. The emotional drama “Lonely Island” is P. Simm‘s latest feature.
Photos: Maimu Mölder
