Taavi Arus

An experimental shale-oil essay starring people, industry, and nature.

Puuluup: Cables in the Car, Still is a humorous and poetic music documentary about two middle-aged musicians who are bringing the long-forgotten Talharpa to world stages. Dry humor, absurd situations, and "neo-zombie-post-folk" music intertwine in a portrait where the glory of the stage clashes with everyday life and fatherhood. The film proves that late success can be the sweetest.

A film about ancient Mayan knowledge, their sacred calendar and traditional fire ceremony.

Under the direction of Soundcloud and radio DJ Siim Nestor, something is happening in Estonian music that has not been seen or heard in a long time. A new wave. New characters. New Estonia. Lil Estonia!

For 25 years, world-famous Estonian clowns Haide and Toomas, better known as Piip and Tuut, have brought joy and laughter to children and families across the globe. But behind the face paint and curtain lies a different story. While entertaining thousands, their own children – Emma, Siim, and Anni – have been growing up at home without them. Eldest daughter Emma dreams of following in her parents' footsteps, but balancing her passion for theatre with caring for her autistic brother and younger sister has forced her to grow up fast. Meanwhile, Haide and Toomas grapple with guilt, exhaustion, and the toll of trying to give their all both on stage and at home.

Work needs to get done, no matter how dirty or clean.

Magnus Kirt is one throw away from the world title when his shoulder dislocates before the eyes of millions. A years-long struggle forces him to ask: what does a comeback mean when you can never return to the way you were?

A behind the scenes documentary into the making of the cult film "Õiglus"

Magnus, a handsome teenager, wants to commit suicide and his father tries to change his mind.

“Sal-Saller: This Is What Makes Us Alive” dives into the personal and creative journey of Hendrik Sal-Saller, the iconic frontman of Smilers. Through rare archival footage, candid interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories, the film paints a heartfelt portrait of a man whose music has united generations. From his early struggles in Finland to the height of Smilers’ fame, the documentary explores the highs, lows, and unwavering dedication of a true cultural legend. Featuring intimate insights into his personal life and creative process, this is a story not just about music but about the resilience of the human spirit.

A documentary film that takes the viewer to the great stages of the sport of cycling. Estonians Tanel Kangert and Rein Taaramäe are the same age and both from the small village of Vändra. They are under the microscope as they both cycle in the top-level Astana Pro Team.

Craft beer, microbrewery, small brewery, IPA, IBU, gypsy brew, surface and secondary fermentation – these are just a small selection of keywords that have been heard more and more often among serious beer enthusiasts in the last few years. Today, new small breweries still account for less than a few percent of the total market, and the topics related to them are so frequent on the lips of enthusiasts and in the wider media that a legitimate question arises: what is it all about? “Beer Revolution” does not provide direct answers, but it offers a kaleidoscopic overview of craft beer producers, sellers and consumers in Estonia in 2015.

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? The story of Estonia’s oldest youtuber, influencer and star-chef, Uncle Arvo. The story of food and a hunger for life.

A married couple living in Karlova, Tartu, organize a reception for the Republic of Estonia at their home every year on February 24. A humorous insight into the party that takes place in parallel with the glamorous presidential ball, which vividly illustrates what happens in front of thousands of TVs throughout Estonia on this day.

New Estonian punk is boiling over. A colourful group of bands with overlapping members – Skoone, Avemaria, O.V.M., Keskkool and Spekter – resemble 1980s American West Coast punk (Black Flag, X, Germs, Minor Threat, NOFX and The Cramps, among others) more than the staple acts of our Singing Revolution era. At the heart of this scene are young musicians such as Kalli Talonpoika, Riste Sofie Käär, Fredi-Methos Miller and Villu Tamm.

Jaan Tootsen’s documentary follows President Toomas Hendrik Ilves in the last year and a half of his term in office – as he grapples with the complexities of world politics and his private life. Tootsen’s keen camera eye follows Ilves at his most difficult moments, showing no mercy, but creating a gripping, rather harsh and at the same time very human portrait of the President.

The documentary unveils the hidden and colorful facets of beloved Estonian writer Leelo Tungal, taking the viewer on a journey through her life, her family and national values—all shaped by the shifting winds of social and political change across decades. How is it possible to create something bigger than oneself and bring together generations on book pages, Eurovision stage and also under the arch of the Song Festival Grounds?

The hippie movement that captivated hundreds of thousands of young people in the West had a profound impact on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Within the Soviet system, a colorful crowd of artists, musicians, freaks, vagabonds and other long-haired drop-outs created their own system, which connected those who believed in peace, love, and freedom for their bodies and souls. More than 40 years later, a group of eccentric hippies from Estonia take a road trip to Moscow where the hippies still gather annually on the 1st of June for celebration that is related to the tragic event in 1971, when thousands of Soviet hippies were arrested by the KGB. The journey through time and dimensions goes deep into the psychedelic underground world in which these people strived for freedom.

Freddy Grenzmann is Estonia’s last rockstar and the singer of a punk-rock band called Psychoterror. And a poet. The phenomenon of a rockstar stands outside of normality – is bigger than life. Recognizingly what we can say about Freddy, is that he is not normal – not on stage, nor in life. Freddy’s creation and life are equivalent – he puts everything out there. What makes Freddy interesting is not the social or textual play, but the ammount that he puts in. Possibility of total loss of self-control and the depth of a predictable human or metaphysical agony. This is the story of the last real rockstar and poet, his work and of a punkbands anatomy.

A documentary about contemporary Estonian artist and feminist Mare Tralla, who started in the stormy 1990s as part of the so-called generation of winners. In addition to being a radical feminist, Mare Tralla is a hidden mother, lecturer, craftsman and designer, and on top of all that, she is also a person who has had to keep a very intimate and dark secret to herself from a very young age.

The mysterious world of ticks, and people whose lives have been touched by ticks.

Skateboarding, with its all-encompassing lifestyle, personal expression, creativity, and rebellious spirit has grown into something more than just doing tricks in Estonia. Skaters repeat in unison, “Skateboarding has given me everything.” Skateboarding is their life. Skateboarding is freedom. This is the story of a scene spanning five decades in Estonia, from the boards made with clay wheels in the 1980s to today’s youth, for whom the whole world is open.

Ahto, armed with encyclopaedic knowledge and unbound love for obscure music, embarks on a journey to find the rarest vinyl records of the Soviet era.

The author of the film, Indrek Spungin, has reached the harbour of love and peace, he is married and the father of several children. Everything seems beautiful, but one day his wife tells him that if nothing changes, then their love and marriage will soon come to an end. Indrek is confused. He takes his friend Taavi and a camera and goes to find out what love really is. He questions representatives from a variety of social groups on topics such as love and marriage.