In Persona: Priit Pärn (Tallinn) 1

If you were to look at the first few years of Priit Pärn’s CV, you wouldn’t guess that he would later become one of Estonia’s most important animated filmmakers. Born in 1946 in Tallinn, starting in 1970 he studied biology in Tartu and then worked as an ecologist and plant biologist for four years. In secret, the foundation was being laid for a possible career change, as Priit Pärn was already working as a caricature artist and illustrator at the end of the 1960s. In 1976, he went to the Estonian state’s film association Tallinnfilm, where he produced his short film debut “Is the Earth Round?” one year later. This was followed by many more short films, eleven feature-length films and ad spots, including the legendary ad for the Estonian energy company Eestni Energia, which showed a father leaving his crying family behind and remembering to do the right thing and turn out the light. His very macabre sense of humour and unconventional style also contributed to him not beingrecognised outside of the Estonian SSR at the beginning. The USSR’s state committee for film, Goskino, always gave him such poor reviews that he didn’t have a chance of becoming famous with his films. In the 1990s, he taught in various European countries and workshops in Australia and Canada. From 1994 until 2007, Priit Pärn was the artistic director of the animation department at the Turku School of Art and Media in Finland. Since 2008, he has been a member of the EuropeanFilm Academy, which presents the European Film Awards each year. Even if the start of his animated film career didn’t look promising, Priit Pärn was able to garner worldwide fame, and his works have been shown in 30 individual exhibitions in various European countries and Canada. Priit Pärn has received multiple awards for his life’s work, including that of the Association internationale du film d’animation (ASIFA) in Ottawa and at the animated film festival in Fredrikstad (Norway).In the context of this year’s country focus on the Baltic States, Priit Pärn presents his personal highlights from 50 years of making films in two In Persona programme blocks.

Breakfast On the Grass (Breakfast On the Grass)

Regie Director: Priit Pärn / UDSSR / 1988 / 00:25:00 min.

1895 (1895)

Regie Director: Priit Pärn, Janno Póldma / Estland / 1995 / 00:29:00 min.

Pilots on the Way Home (Pilots on the Way Home)

Regie Director: Priit Pärn, Olga Pärn / Estland / 06.2014 / 00:16:00 min.