Life and Love

In 1933, a young woman, Irma, embarks on a journey, leaving behind the countryside for the bustling heart of the city. Her fate converges with a middle-aged printing house owner, leading to the inception of a heart-wrenching love story.

In 1933, a young woman leaves her rural home to chase her dream of becoming a writer in the city. She takes a job as a maid for a middle-aged printing house owner who quickly starts pursuing her romantically. They marry, but his passionate declarations of love soon turn cold. As political tensions rise in the country, their love story unfolds in a divided society, revealing toxic behaviours and power games that start innocently but lead to dire consequences.

On the backdrop of the Great Depression, a young woman named Irma leaves her countryside home for the allure of the city, where she aspires to become a writer.
Her relative Lonni takes her in. She is disillusioned with city life and sees Irma's arrival as a new beginning. Irma's childhood sweetheart, Eedi, follows her to the city, hoping to persuade her to return with him.

Lonni secures Irma a job at the local printing house, where she captures the attention of the middle-aged owner, Rudolf. He convinces Irma to become a live-in maid at his house and slowly starts seducing her. Even though she tries to resist his romantic advances, Irma is captivated by his charm and lavish lifestyle. In the pressure cooker of political turmoil, as Irma falls deeper into the spider's web of Rudolf's manipulation, a tragic love story emerges, illustrating the high price paid for the romantic illusions we create in our minds.

Director's note:
At first glance, Life and Love appears to be a historical romantic drama. However, beneath the cover of this love story, lie toxic behaviour patterns and power dynamics that render the narrative timeless.
Our goal is to depict contemporary relationships, focusing on four characters whose personal developments mirror each other. We introduce a political backdrop reflecting the era's politics and modern societal divisions in Estonia and worldwide. Importantly, we aim not to condemn characters but reveal their underlying motives, offering a new perspective.
While rooted in its era, our film adopts a modern style, emphasising characters' inner lives. We use visual repetitions and techniques from horror and thriller films to engage the audience emotionally and intellectually. We aim to provide the audience a glimpse of hope behind seemingly futile situations and gain a fresh perspective on what we often label as love.