LIVE FROM THE INDUSTRY@TALLINN & BALTIC EVENT

In the red glow of a karaoke bar, a young man sings a sorrowful tune. Life quickly slips by. People quietly enjoy their existences, forging ahead with the same routine every day. Sometimes, one moment of sadness is enough to send them off-piste.

Our young protagonist is drowning in melancholy. Everyone around him has an opinion about what he should do or how he should feel. Some even find his desolation enlightening. Nobody is concerned about the root cause of his problems, or how they could truly help him. The film asks viewers: do the people around us truly notice our suffering, or are they only thinking of themselves?

The story is simple and clear. We see only what we need to see. Sadness is the movie’s driving force. The hapless lead drives the narrative from the very beginning to the bitter end. At times, he just stays in a corner, or sleeps. He has no answers left to give because nobody cares.

The long, slow takes allow viewers to observe the man in detail, and to come up with their own answers. Tension builds, even when tranquility prevails, keeping audiences hooked just as they guess what will happen next. Each take feels like a standalone story. Environment sounds are combined with a subtle music score, crafting a sense of realism.

Despite its very short runtime of just six minutes, Min’s Day Off successfully raises some pertinent existential questions.

Min’s Day Off shows in the PÖFF Shorts section of the 28th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. This review was written as part of the Film Review Workshop conducted on November 10th, 2024.

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Eik Tammemäe has a master’s degree in film directing from BFM and has worked as a teacher in film and media. He has also created commercials and video marketing content. Occasionally, he travels around the world and creates special films.4 stars