Artis Cinema Presents Summer Program: Masterpieces of Four Directors and Documentaries

This summer, the Artis cinema in Tallinn has prepared a special program showcasing the artistry of four iconic directors. For each director, one feature film and one documentary will be screened, providing insight into their lives and creative processes.

The program kicks off on July 31 with Andrei Tarkovsky's "Stalker" (1979), predominantly filmed in Estonia. The sci-fi masterpiece follows a stalker who guides two men through a dangerous, mysterious Zone where wishes are said to come true. On August 2, the documentary "Andrei Tarkovsky: Cinema as Prayer" will be shown. Directed by Tarkovsky's son Andrei A. Tarkovsky, the film is a poetic essay based on the director's monologue, featuring unseen family archive materials, including poems by his father Arseny.

In early August, attention turns to Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. "Fanny and Alexander" (1982) tells the story of two siblings whose lives change after their father's death. The documentary "In Search of Ingmar Bergman" explores the director's legacy through interviews with his favorite actress Liv Ullmann and his son Daniel Bergman. "Fanny and Alexander" screens on August 4, followed by the documentary on August 8.

Armenian director Sergei Parajanov is featured on August 15 with "The Color of Pomegranates" (1969), a visually poetic biography of poet Sayat-Nova. The documentary "Lilac Wind of Parajanov" (2025) by Ali Khamraev pays tribute to the director through archival research and travel in Armenia and Georgia, and will be shown on August 16.

The program concludes with Miloš Forman's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture. The film follows Randall McMurphy, a patient who clashes with the authoritarian Nurse Ratched in a psychiatric hospital. On August 25, the documentary "Forman vs. Forman" (2019) will be screened, a collage of archival interviews, film clips, and home videos chronicling the director's life and career.