SOOVANA (2024)

Directed by Nastja Rönkkö

Cinematography by Aake Kivalo

Produced by Nastja Rönkkö

Commissioned and produced by Estonian Literary Museum / Enter Woodland Spirits & European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024

The film sees the eponymous Soovana journey from the banal distractions of a ferry ride to the remote wetlands near Tartu, Estonia. Soovana is on a voyage to mend her broken heart, leading her to follow the mist into the wilderness. The interplay of bogs, forest, and fog embraces mythological and personal fables to carve out an imaginary space of longing.

Soovana reinterprets the Estonian mythological figure, a protector of bogs and swamps, to examine the mythical entanglements of water and the unique socio-ecological landscape of Estonian swampland.

The video explores the hybrid nature of bogs—spaces, characterised by emergence, transformation and resilience. Soovana's narrative embodies the tension between care and melancholy, reflecting the broader ecological and cultural complexities of the wetlands. 

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/994774133

Link upon request