Ülo Pikkov • Producer
"There is nothing more interesting for me than another human"
- An interview with Estonian producer Ülo Pikkov of Silmviburlane, one of the participants of Jihlava's 2018 Emerging Producers
An interview with Estonian producer Ülo Pikkov of Silmviburlane, one of the participants of Jihlava's 2018 Emerging Producers.
Why do you produce documentaries? Do you believe that they have the power to change the world?
Ülo Pikkov: Documentaries are the closest form to open human nature and there is nothing more interesting for me than another human. I see also, besides the possibility of working with interesting people, a broader mission of the production of documentaries – propaganda of humanity.
What do you think is the future of distribution of documentary films?
I guess documentary films become more and more the subject of VODs and small cinemas. Documentaries are the subject of intelligent people. And since the distribution of cinema is becoming more and more personal, there are also more opportunities and distribution channels for documentaries.
What projects do you have under way?
Roots, a collection of short documentaries. It is the winning project of the competition, which was announced on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia by the Estonian Film Institute and Estonian Public Broadcasting.
Roots tells six very personal stories. They are stories about birth and death, being alone and together, great joy and great sadness. They are told honestly and bravely from a female perspective. The authors are well known, Estonian, female directors, between the ages 29-61, who are also mothers, daughters and wives. And why not lovers or world travellers. The central symbol of the collection is the root, a vital organ. Roots don’t have leaves but they may grow buds that sprout above the ground. The root is the beginning, the origin, the starting point, the cause. The directors of the collection include Nora Särak, Aljona Suržikova, Heilika Pikkov, Anna Hints, Moonika Siimets, Kersti Uibo. Premiere is planned for spring 2018.
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Emerging Producers is a promotional and educational project, which brings together talented European documentary film producers. The programme is organised and curated by the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.
Deadline for applications to the Emerging Producers 2019 edition is 31 March, 2018. Click here.
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