LIVE FROM THE INDUSTRY@TALLINN & BALTIC EVENT

What happens when you’re born between two worlds? Young Estonian filmmaker Sasha Shprotser journeys from Narva, Estonia in prder to visit her grandma’s grave in Slantsy, Russia. She is armed with nothing but a camera and profound questions about her heritage. We follow the artist as she crosses the border, runs into suspicious locals, and makes her way through 80km of dirt road putting herself, quite literally, off the beaten path.

The director’s thoughts on peril shape shape the journey in real time: “it’s dangerous to be Russian; it’s dangerous to be a girl; it’s dangerous to not finish university!”. The reflection is minimal, yet it eloquently communicates the author’s innermost feelings. Viewers remain on the edge of their seats where they cannot help but pray for Sasha’s safety behind enemy lines. The meaning of “enemy” is challenged by the author’s soliloquy.

The minimalistic and truly original camerawork creates a peculiar fusion of realism and adventure videogame: the camera often follows Sasha as if it had been attached to the back of an animal. The director does little to influence the objectivity of her journey, mostly keeping the camera in objective perspective, and only zooming in in order to show viewers the details of what she sees. There’s no music or sound design. Sasha elicits a broad spectrum of emotions from the viewers: the suspense of Big Brother watching over her shoulder, the awe of the beautiful scenery crossing a bridge, and the tranquility of her babushka’s (granny) final resting pace.

This 19-minute film walks the tightrope between journalism and guerrilla filmmaking. There is beauty and heartbreak in the simplicity of the approch: a girl going to visit her grandma’s grave, and having to navigate an incredibly difficult and hostile world. Sasha challenges a dodgy lorry driver: “Look at me, you think I’m dangerous?”. While it is unlikely that she finds simple answers to her many questions, there is hope for solace and redemption. Audiences are left wondering what the walk back will look like!

Border is inventive and elegant both in its narrative and cinematography. A breath of fresh air in the age of noise, influence and control.

Border shows in the PÖFF Shorts section of the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. This review was written as part of the Film Review Workshop conducted on November 9th, 2025.