Before the screening there will be an introductory conversation by Allan Cameron, the UK publisher of Truth and Justice ( Vagabond Voices), and Ian Thomson, writer and journalist.
Estonia, 1870. Young and staunch Andres along with his wife Krõõt arrive at a farm bought on a loan to establish their new life. Desolate and neglected between the marshes, Robber’s Rise must be transformed into a place that will take care of the family. All they have to do is to break the resistance of the barren land, make his neighbour cooperate, and raise an heir – a son to inherit his father’s life’s work. But when nature refuses to bend, the neighbour turns out to be a roughneck rival, and Krõõt keeps giving birth to daughters, Andres struggles to find the right way. In his desperate search for truth and justice – from the court, the tavern and the Bible, he sacrifices his family, his friends and eventually himself. The beautiful dream of prosperous and nurturing Robber’s Rise gives way to an obsession, resulting in none of the things Andres wanted and everything he was afraid of.
The film is based on a literary classic by an Estonian distinguished author Anton Hansen Tammsaare - the book published in 1926 was the first of the five volumes of the author’s opus magnum and is considered to be one of the most important pieces of Estonian literature. Tammsaare is not just an author, but a national icon beyond comparison.
In partnership with the Estonian Embassy in London.