Text 6: A Reflection of My Thoughts on Estonian Animation (2021)

I would like to give my time to write about, and to reflect upon, my experience watching Estonian animations. The content of this essay is not include only my feeling towards Estonian animation but also the circumstance of the Estonian animation I have known which helps me examine the impact of the animation makers’ environment to refine my current approach in animation.  

To start with, when I say Estonian animation, it is too much to say that Estonian animation is all Estonian animations. I ought to assert that it means animations directed by Estonian directors or produced by Estonian animation studios I have seen, mostly on the internet, for the past few years and having seen some from animation festivals I have attended recently. A big meet with Estonian animation for me, I would say, is the Estonian Animation Special Programmes at the 17^th International Animated Film Festival Hiroshima 2018.   

To keep it short and simple, what I felt watching those animations, most of the time, is the experience of raw energy, absurd, repression, confusion, resentment and other bitterness feeling. I easily fell into their world where lots of questions such as what is the intention of the director, what is the meaning of characters’ actions, what influence these directors on directing this kind of animations are revolving in my head. And those questions leaded me to find further information by reading the directors’ interviews, the reviews from audiences and any resource I could find. All made me come across the book Estonian Animation Between Genius & Utter Illiteracy by Chris Robinson which answers many of the questions I have in mind.   

I do not want to, and not intend to, use this space to give information from the book. But I would like to reflect on a few points that the writer examines the Estonian animation. As those points have had answers and impacts on me questioning about the difference of animations created in each specified place. For instances, the writer mentions that the Estonian’s unique geographical position, as an intersection of Western and Eastern Europe being under the rule of many countries for centuries: Denmark, Poland, Sweden, Germany, and Russia, influences and creates the uniqueness of Estonian, being irrational and absurd animation. And because of its enviable geographical location, the animations that had been made under these hostile circumstances, have had the nature of the underlying political and ethical context. In short, the correlation of the convergence of cultural, political and geographical factors of Estonia has had a big impact on the outcome animations.  

There is much detail on Estonian animations I can find the linkage between the animations themselves and the influence of directors’ hometown. However, I think, here is not a good spot to prattling on each Estonian animation I am interested in. But All I above wrote is a way to reflect on what I am thinking about animations created in my hometown, Thailand. I wish, to further understanding on Thai animation, drawing an outline of the relation between the Thai animation itself and the circumstances animations having been made is important, therefore, citing a wide range of knowledge: history, geography, politics and others branches of knowledge is needed. At the moment, it is too hard for me to write about it as lacking of understanding and sufficient information. If I properly accumulate them enough, I hope I can look into my hometown’s animations, clearly, as I can see from the book Estonian Animation Between Genius & Utter Illiteracy.  

The book link: https://www.amazon.com/Estonian-Animation-Between-Genius-Illiteracy/dp/0861966678.