November

"November" is based on Estonian novel "Rehepapp" by Andrus Kivirähk, a bestseller of the last twenty years. The film is a mixture of magic, black humor and romantic love. The story is set in a pagan Estonian village where werewolves, the plague, and spirits roam. The villagers' main problem is how to survive the cold, dark winter. And, to that aim, nothing is taboo. People steal from each other, from their German manor lords, and from spirits, the devil, and Christ. To guard their souls, they'll give them away to thieving creatures made of wood and metal called kratts, who help their masters by stealing more. They steal even if their barns are already overflowing. Stealing is an obsession that makes the villagers more and more like the soulless creatures they command, the kratts. The main character of the film is a young farm girl named Liina who is hopelessly and forlornly in love with a village boy named Hans. Her longing makes the girl become a werewolf and jump into an ice-cold pond. She's ready to die in the name of love. The pragmatic farmers are faced with a question: is the life that they've won through so much toil worth anything, if it lacks a soul? Estonian pagan and European Christian mythologies come together in this film. Both mythologies look for a miracle; for an ancient force that gives one a soul. This film is about souls - longing for a soul, selling your soul, and living without a soul.

Award, Tribeca Film Festival (USA), 2017, Programme: International Narrative Feature Film - Best Cinematography: Mart Taniel.
Award, Riga International Film Festival (Latvia), 2017, Best Film; Youth Matters Award; Splendid Palace People’s Choice Award.
Award, Listapad - Minsk International Film Festival (Byelorussia), 2017, Grand Prix - Golden Listapad; Yury Marukhin Award for Best Cinematography; Best Score - Jacaszek.
Award, Virginia Film Festival (USA), 2017, Narrative Feature: Progammer’s Award.
Award, PÖFF - Black Nights Film Festival (Tallinn, Estonia), 2017, Best Estonian Film.
Award, Virgin Maali - Estonian Association of Film Journalists' Annual Award (Estonia), 2017.
Award, Annual Award of Estonian Cultural Endowment (Estonia), 2018, Main award - Feature Film of the Year - to Katrin Kissa, Rainer Sarnet; Mart Taniel -Cinematographer of the Year - for unique visual language in "November"; Jörgen Liik and Rea Lest - Actors of the Year; Matis Mäesalu and Jaagup Roomet - Best Set Design; Salme-Riine Uibo - Support Personnel Award.
Award, ASC Awards – The American Society of Cinematographers (USA), 2018, Spotlight Award - to Mart Taniel.
Award, EFTA - National Estonian Film and Television Awards (Estonia), 2018.
Award, New Mexico Film Critics’ Association (Mehhiko), 2018.
Award, FANTASPORTO - Oporto International Film Festival (Portugal), 2018.
Award, Festival l’Europe autour de l’Europe (Pariis, Prantsusmaa), 2018.
Award, East-West. Golden Arch - International Film Award (Russia), 2018.
Award, goEast - Festival of Central and Eastern European Film (Wiesbaden, Germany), 2018.
Award, Bilbao Fantasy Film Festival (Spain), 2018.
Participation, OSCAR - The Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (USA), 2017, Foreign Language Film - National Nominee.
Participation, Shanghai International Film Festival (China), 2017, Programme: Panorama.
Participation, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Czechia), 2017.