Karu süda (2001)

Director:

Arvo Iho

Writers:

Nikolai Baturin (novel)
Nikolai Baturin (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 September 2001 (Estonia)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A young Estonian goes to the Siberian Taiga to live as a hunter in a remote forest hut. He hopes to find his true self far from civilisation...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Rain Simmul	...	Nika / Nganasan
Dinara Drukarova	...	Gitya
Ilyana Pavlova	...	Emily
Külli Teetamm	...	Laima
Lembit Ulfsak	...	Simon
Nail Chaikhoutdinov	...	Tolkun
Arvo Kukumägi	...	Venjamin
Galina Bokashevskaya	...	Katherine
Tatyana Leganteva	...	Sunbeam
Merle Palmiste	...	Grey-One
Farhatdin Makhamatdinov	...	Gauk
Olga Penner	...	Mavra
Mikhail Matveyev	...	Kazimir
Zosima Yotkin	...	Evsey
Lidia Yelizarova	...	Aglaya

Also Known As:

Das Herz des Bären (Germany)
Medvedí srdce (Czech Republic)
Serdtse medveditsy (Russia)
The Heart of the Bear (International: English title)

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

Estonia | Czech Republic | Germany | Russia

Language:

Russian | Estonian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Filming Locations:

Kallaste, Estonia

Company:

4S Production

Exceptionally beautiful movie

This was a very meaningful movie to me. The raw beauty of the landscape (astonishingly similar to some of my own country's), combined with the almost surreal, harsh, yet melancholic storyline has counted this amongst my personal favourites.

The symbolism is everywhere, the journey of self-discovery here is presented in a way that it never has been on-screen before.

I feel very lucky to have seen this movie when it came as part of a Baltic film series at our best theatre. As soon as I read the preview for it, I felt compelled to see it, as if by instinct, and am now yearning to see it again soon. But will it ever come back? Or be put onto a format which I can play here at home? I have tried contacting the Distributor and the Estonian Film Commission but have not received a response.

I can only echo the comments of others here, especially ise-2's review. This may well become one of the great hidden treasures of cinematic history.

The acting is so superb and sincere, it is as if they are not actors. The landscapes are truly wild and you can almost feel the dampness yet inexplicable warmth of the northern forest.

Some may find it slow and plodding, as I've heard. Pervasive underlying themes and sweeping journeys across the landscape aren't often readily accepted by a majority of movie-goers.

This is far ahead of any other movie about self-discovery. If there ever was a film that could leave a lasting impression on me this is it. And I don't even know Estonian!