Feature Film “ON THE WATER”
“On the Water” is a bittersweet and sharply humorous glimpse into the life of a pre-teen boy in early 1980s Võru. A tragically comical atmosphere where there's no escape from life’s troubles — except onto Lake Tamula, to go fishing.
The film is in Estonian, with subtitles in Russian and English.
Veteran director Peeter Simm’s film is in sync with Olavi Ruitlane’s bestselling novel of the same name, evoking both “The Backyard” and “Spring” — comic and tragic, lyrical and grotesque, tender and cruel. It’s a story filled with firsts: the first curious touch, first love, first encounter with death — along with a series of comical situations that could only unfold under the absurd conditions of Soviet life. Because the backyard is the stage of ordinary people, each directing their own play titled “My Life”.
Yet, this is not a story about Soviet absurdity or the twilight of an era, but about the possibility of remaining human in an imperfect world. Every character in this naively genuine universe — from the ex-con to the communist — longs to be loved. That is the most important thing.
(Tiit Tuumalu, PÖFF)
Director: Peeter Simm
Screenwriter: Olavi Ruitlane
Cast: Rasmus Ermel, Marko Matvere, Aarne Soro, Maria Klenskaja, Kalju Orro, Aurora Aleksandra Künnapas
Producers: Marju Lepp, Manfred Vainokivi
Cinematographer: Manfred Vainokivi
About the Director: Peeter Simm
Peeter Simm (born 1953 in Ida-Virumaa) graduated from the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow in 1976. He works as a film director and lecturer at the Baltic Film and Media School. He has directed 11 feature films and 20 documentaries. His films have been featured at Cannes, Berlin, and Moscow film festivals. He has received awards for Best Director in Latvia and Belarus. In 2024, he was honored with the PÖFF Lifetime Achievement Award.
Selected Films:
Daisy Petal Game: Tattoo (1977, short),
The Ideal Landscape (1980),
Arabella, the Pirate’s Daughter (1982),
Good Hands (PÖFF 2001),
On the Water (PÖFF 2020)