One film-maker that intrigues me (not only her appearance) is the Estonian,
Kadri Kõusaar. OK, she's only made
one feature film so far, but she has written novels, one of which I tried, and failed, to interest British publishers in. So I've translated half of it and no one wants it. Such is the life of a translator, if you do things on spec.
One blow for her personally as a film director was that her film, "Magnus" got as far as the Cannes selection last year, which is prestigious enough for a woman film director of only 27. But as the film involves a suicide, the family of the person who killed himself and on whose life the film was based threatened to sue, so the film was withdrawn from last year's Cannes Film Festival and is banned in Estonia. But she is
very ambitious, so she'll make it one day. She likes both Houllebecq and von Trier.
See:
http://kadri.vinci.ee/index.php?lang=en
and
http://kadri.vinci.ee/index.php?CatID=2
and
http://kadri.vinci.ee/?CatID=10
“I WANTED TO DO MY OWN FILM!”
Kadri Kõusaar, writer and film director, Estonia
Kadri Kõusaar - born in 1980 - studied Spanish and literature at the University of Tartu. She has published two books, as well as cultural articles and reviews in the most important newspapers in Estonia. "Magnus" is her first film and also the first Estonian film to be invited to compete in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival.
Kadri, your film was selected to compete in the “Un Certain Regard” category at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It is the first Estonian film ever to be invited to Cannes...
It was a completely crazy feeling to be selected for Cannes! We had just filled in the application forms and posted the DVDs for the Cannes selection committee. We did not hope anything... We knew that they have more than 5000 films to choose from... Three weeks later came the phone call from Cannes... But the craziest thing was that “Magnus” was invited by two different programs – “Un Certain Regard” and ”The Directors’ Fortnight” and I had to decide which programme to choose!
What was the most striking experience of being in Cannes?
I felt like Cinderella – after the parties when it was impossible to get a taxi, I just walked back barefoot to our apartment... All my evening dresses were borrowed; we were financially broke and overworked... and then all that glitz and glamour. Cannes is very bizarre experience existentially: you feel bigger than ever, but also smaller than ever... But all your doubts and sufferings just vanish, when people come to thank you after the screening, their eyes in tears...