Section: Feature Film Competition

VÕTA VÕI JÄTA

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo
Estonia, 2018, 102 Min

After a long night out on the tiles, Erik receives a surprising message: his ex-girlfriend Moonika, who he hasn’t seen for the past six months, is in labour. She reveals to him in the delivery room that she is not ready for motherhood and wants to give the little girl up for adoption. Erik's life changes dramatically: he changes from a casual jobber to being a father.

Allfilm OÜ

Until now, the 30-year-old Estonian had kept his head above water with work on Finland's construction sites and got involved in fights at night. Now, he has to adjust to his role as a single father. Suspiciously watched by his own mother, the only man at parent-child gymnastics and an outsider at parties, he is forced to take on responsibility for his daughter overnight.

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT was submitted by Estonia to the Oscars in the category for "Best Foreign Language Film". The film is a movingly narrated social drama in which Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo's documentary origins can be seen in every scene through the authentic character descriptions that are captured with a handheld camera. In addition, the narrative opens up to a wider context when the discussion turns to Estonia's position as an underdog vis-à-vis rich Finland where one goes to earn money, but then has less time to spend with one's own family at home. RB

Filmformat
DCP | Farbe / Colour
Drehbuch
Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo
Kamera
Erik Põllumaa
Ton
Seppo Vanhatalo
Schnitt
Tambet Tasuja
Ausstattung
Markku Pätilä, Kirsi Lember
Darsteller
Reimo Sagor, Nora Altrov, Emily Viikman, Liis Lass, Adeele Sepp, Epp Eespäev, Andres Mähar, Egon Nuter, Mait Malmsten
Produzent
Ivo Felt
Produktion
Allfilm OÜ
Kontakt
Allfilm OÜ
Triinu Keedus
Saue 11
Tallinn 10612
Estonia
+372 67 29 070
allfilm@allfilm.ee
www.allfilm.ee
Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo

Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo - born in 1976 in Pärnu, Estonia. She first studied comparative cultural studies, then film design and production at the European Film College in Denmark and at the Cinema and Audiovisual School of Catalonia. She has been involved in numerous documentary films as a director, screenwriter or editor. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT is her feature film debut.

Movies
THE GARDENER (2001, short)
SMILING WOMEN (2003, doc)
AFANASSI (2005, doc)
SIM, SAMULIA AND THE DOLCE VITA (2009, doc)
SILENT SURRENDER (2010, doc)