- Occupation
Producer, Director - Country
Estonia
Kaat Marianna
Lobotomy
Lobotomy is Yuri Khashchavatski's personal indictment of the Russian media's brainwashing tactics. Taking the recent war between Russia and Georgia as a point of departure, he illustrates how far removed actual events were from the conflict as it was reported on Russian state television. The director's own voice drives the argument, but journalists, military experts and politicians also have their say. The film intersperses interviews (live or via Skype) with archive footage that is, in turn, contrasted with amateur clips found on the Internet. Khashchavatski contends that "Montage is a powerful and insidious weapon." And he would be the one to know, because in addition to directing the film, he also edited it and its highly effective audio mix. He is a master of the art of irony as well. This personal account by the director suggests that the Russian state is not being governed according to democratic principles, but by a Mafia-style hierarchy.
Pit No. 8
In the heart of a once thriving Ukrainian coal-mining region everybody digs – retirees, unemployed miners and even the children. Years ago, the town's desperate residents decided to start mining illegally; they excavate everywhere!!! The story focuses on the Sikanov family, which has three children. 15-year-old Yura, the grandson of a powerful Soviet plant director, is the head of the family working as a miner in the illegal pit. Most Jura wants to run his own cafe somewhere far from home, but the responsibility for the two sisters and looming economic crisis pushes his dreams in the distant future.
The Last Phantoms
The film explores a unique group of people, ballet lovers, whose lives have been captured over the years by the magic of the renowned Mariinsky (Kirov) Opera and Ballet Theatre of St. Petersburg.What has once - privileged Russian art lost and what has it gained? Who is ready to carry on the century-long traditions of ballet? Does this great ballet company have any chance to survive at all?Perhaps our characters are the last witnesses and custodians of the triumphs of the glorious past? The documentary is full of archive materials of the Soviet era from private collections and the Russian State Documentary Film and Photos Archive.
Kalinovski Square
A docu-comedy about life in Belarus before and after the President elections where Lukashenko created his victory with almost 83% of the votes. With his astonishing material Belarus' most celebrated film director Khashchavatski speaks out about resistance and persecution, displaying an overwhelming will for freedom. This film is director's long-standing and personally dangerous conflict with president Lukashenko. Authorities have persecuted him already since his first film on the subject - An Ordinary President (1996). They still watch him. All production was done underground.
A Working Title: Wunderkind
Documentary about coming of age musical prodigy Alex Prior, who was born in London to a Russian mother and British father and at age of 10 already made his world known name as a singer. In order to insure that their son gets named the Great Composer of the XXI Century, mother and father become entangled in the music business. Film crew started to follow Alexander and his devoted parents when fourteen year boy just entered St. Petersburg Conservatory as a composer, conductor.
Lobotomy is Yuri Khashchavatski's personal indictment of the Russian media's brainwashing tactics. Taking the recent war between Russia and Georgia as a point of departure, he illustrates how far removed actual events were from the conflict as it was reported on Russian state television. The director's own voice drives the argument, but journalists, military experts and politicians also have their say. The film intersperses interviews (live or via Skype) with archive footage that is, in turn, contrasted with amateur clips found on the Internet. Khashchavatski contends that "Montage is a powerful and insidious weapon." And he would be the one to know, because in addition to directing the film, he also edited it and its highly effective audio mix. He is a master of the art of irony as well. This personal account by the director suggests that the Russian state is not being governed according to democratic principles, but by a Mafia-style hierarchy.
Pit No. 8
In the heart of a once thriving Ukrainian coal-mining region everybody digs – retirees, unemployed miners and even the children. Years ago, the town's desperate residents decided to start mining illegally; they excavate everywhere!!! The story focuses on the Sikanov family, which has three children. 15-year-old Yura, the grandson of a powerful Soviet plant director, is the head of the family working as a miner in the illegal pit. Most Jura wants to run his own cafe somewhere far from home, but the responsibility for the two sisters and looming economic crisis pushes his dreams in the distant future.
The Last Phantoms
The film explores a unique group of people, ballet lovers, whose lives have been captured over the years by the magic of the renowned Mariinsky (Kirov) Opera and Ballet Theatre of St. Petersburg.What has once - privileged Russian art lost and what has it gained? Who is ready to carry on the century-long traditions of ballet? Does this great ballet company have any chance to survive at all?Perhaps our characters are the last witnesses and custodians of the triumphs of the glorious past? The documentary is full of archive materials of the Soviet era from private collections and the Russian State Documentary Film and Photos Archive.
Kalinovski Square
A docu-comedy about life in Belarus before and after the President elections where Lukashenko created his victory with almost 83% of the votes. With his astonishing material Belarus' most celebrated film director Khashchavatski speaks out about resistance and persecution, displaying an overwhelming will for freedom. This film is director's long-standing and personally dangerous conflict with president Lukashenko. Authorities have persecuted him already since his first film on the subject - An Ordinary President (1996). They still watch him. All production was done underground.
A Working Title: Wunderkind
Documentary about coming of age musical prodigy Alex Prior, who was born in London to a Russian mother and British father and at age of 10 already made his world known name as a singer. In order to insure that their son gets named the Great Composer of the XXI Century, mother and father become entangled in the music business. Film crew started to follow Alexander and his devoted parents when fourteen year boy just entered St. Petersburg Conservatory as a composer, conductor.
Marianna Kaat was born and lives in Tallinn, Estonia. Internationally awarded producer and director Marianna Kaat is one of the most successful Estonian documentary filmmakers. She graduated from the St.Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy in Russia with a PhD. She started as an assistant to the director and script editor/developer at studio Eesti Telefilm. During her long career in the industry she worked as a script editor, director and thereafter as the acquisition manager for Estonian Television. In 1998 she founded independent production company Baltic Film Production (BFP) and since then she produce and direct TV serial and feature films for local and international markets. A Working Title: Wunderkind (2012), Pit No. 8 (2011), Lobotomy (2010), Kalinovski Square (2007), and The Last Phantoms (2006) are the most known productions which won numerous national and international awards. She also occasionally teaches at Baltic Film, - and Media School. Marianna has been honored at MIPD OC 2009 as the European Trailblazer, one of the seven documentary filmmakers to be nominated from different world regions.
- "Pit No 8", as director and producer - "Lobotomy", as a producer - "Kalinovski Square", as a producer- The Last Phantoms, as director and producer
Baltic Film Production
P.O. Box 4752
Paldiski mnt. 183-38
13517 Tallinn
P.O. Box 4752
Paldiski mnt. 183-38
13517 Tallinn
Docu Talents from the East 2010 - 2010
2007 - KALINOVSKI SQUARE (Dir.: Yury Khashchavatski). Alpe Adria Cinema prize as the Best Documentary, 19th TRIESTE FILM FESTIVAL 2008; Best Documentary by Novoje Kino.21 Vek, N.Novgorod, 2007; IDFA/Reflecting Images: Best of Fest, Amsterdam 2007
Trailblazer award, MIPDOC 2009
2006 THE LAST PHANTOMS (In co-production with Illume Ltd. /Finland/ and NPS/Netherlands/; Best Documentary Prize at the IFF Novoje Kino XXI Century, Russia;
1991 WITH YOUR OWN WORDS Ecumenical Jury Award, International Documentary Film Festival Message to Man, St. Petersburg;
1989 NOW NOT ONLY OFF-SHORE Grand Prize, International Female Directors Film Festival, Florence, Italy)