Baltic Films and Identities

In the ‘90s Lithuania, as with all Baltic countries, went from social occupation to be overwhelmed with information, and how does Lithuania reacts decades later? It creates a film about Tadas Blinda, a Robin Hood of Lithuania (Tadas Blinda. The Legend is Born) (2011). Defining self becomes difficult in global reality. Defining memory beyond long Soviet Union becomes even harder. So reminding historic warriors from Prussian uprising not only breaks box office records, but also gets everybody talking of patriotism. While the real story (that goes back to 19th century) about the brave Tadas Blinda, is not so romantic after all. To quote Lenin at this point may be cruel, but he has a famous saying: “Sometimes a history needs a push.”- At least in the name of communism.

But in spite of ideology why does an artist choose a medium like film? As a theatre professor Stuart Ostrow asks: “Why then do you want to be an artist?” and answers himself: “If you can answer the question without using the words money, glamour, fame, romance or sex, you have the right to be taken seriously.” I guess that is one of the possible answers for a film How are you doing, Rudolf Ming? (2010) as well. It is Rudolf who changes the superman ideal: the new national hero is presented as an ordinary boy who simply has a great obsession with filmmaking and whose conflict stands between him and the real world. In other words: defining self and them tends to get very conflicted which is why we could ask: “how are we doing?”

And one of the best mediums to answer that question is film. Since the act of perceiving others is the most visual and direct through a movie. It helps form awareness of one’s own identity and then shapes it along those lines. This is how Estonians share their identity with an alcoholic actor Arvo Kukumägi (from film Kuku: I Will Survive (2011). And this is how Estonia portrays their “national hero”, since Kuku’s concern is everyone’s concern. As Kuku continues his real life role he is companioned with his natives, who are masked actors in the same society game. Shakespeare is not out of fashion; the world still is a stage.

And the reason why the world is a stage is because humans achieve self-comprehension solely through that which they are not. So one could say, that it is Estonians who know best what Rudolf Ming feels and it is Lithuanians who know the best what Arvo Kukumägi feels. It’s not that they all share the same problems of alcoholism, expressing passion, and hero ideals; it’s the collective memory and human empathy. This makes us all individual and as paradoxical as my point of view sounds our individuality makes us all alike. So the more Baltics identify themselves as European citizens the more they simply become… more Baltic.

by Kerli Adov