Sven Grünberg

An up-close look into the life of the often misunderstood movie director Grigori Kromanov through the lens of old friends and colleagues.

When the frontline extends over Estonia in the summer of 1944, the pilots of a shot down Soviet airplane come to ask for help at a farm where organ builder Jaan lives with his kids.

Sven Grünberg is a composer, musician, Buddhist thinker, the introducer of the Dalai Lama to Estonia, and a father – to name just a few roles in his life. Of course, he is also a son, husband, brother, teacher, and human being. He is a distinctive personality with a well-defined worldview. Despite his connection with Buddhism, he is a man of sharp words, yet one who is ready to take responsibility for his opinions or judgments. A few years ago, Grünberg underwent a serious heart operation, which led him to see life from a new perspective. Bonus Track portrays Sven Grünberg in the period following his operation, as he continues to create new music, ensures the flawless preservation of his earlier works, raises his preschool-aged daughter, and organizes the third visit of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

Jaan Tootsen’s documentary follows President Toomas Hendrik Ilves in the last year and a half of his term in office – as he grapples with the complexities of world politics and his private life. Tootsen’s keen camera eye follows Ilves at his most difficult moments, showing no mercy, but creating a gripping, rather harsh and at the same time very human portrait of the President.

The film is based on the works of Milarepa, the most renowned Tibetan poet and Buddhist teacher of the 11th century. A young scholar and a student journey through the sacred sites of Buryatia and Mongolia, guided by a mentor on an exploratory expedition, seeking a path to self-discovery through Milarepa's philosophy and Buddhist culture.