Sten Haljak

A housewife confronts situations to which no sane response exists... “Madwomen: To Be a Sparrow Not a Canary” is an experimental found footage melodrama composed entirely out of film footage shot in Soviet Estonia from 1960 until 1969. An experimental collage creating an alternative narrative to the storylines in the animations, documentaries and feature films of that time period.

These stories take us to the dreamlike outskirts of Estonia, where the everyday is intertwined with the paranormal. At the heart of the film is the human desire to understand the unseen and listen to those whose experiences are often ignored. It is a peaceful and human journey to the edge of the unknown, which does not seek proof, but tries to understand what it means to believe.

A housewife confronts situations to which no sane response exists... “Madwomen: To Be a Sparrow Not a Canary” is an experimental found footage melodrama composed entirely out of film footage shot in Soviet Estonia from 1960 until 1969. An experimental collage creating an alternative narrative to the storylines in the animations, documentaries and feature films of that time period.

A housewife confronts situations to which no sane response exists... “Madwomen: To Be a Sparrow Not a Canary” is an experimental found footage melodrama composed entirely out of film footage shot in Soviet Estonia from 1960 until 1969. An experimental collage creating an alternative narrative to the storylines in the animations, documentaries and feature films of that time period.

These stories take us to the dreamlike outskirts of Estonia, where the everyday is intertwined with the paranormal. At the heart of the film is the human desire to understand the unseen and listen to those whose experiences are often ignored. It is a peaceful and human journey to the edge of the unknown, which does not seek proof, but tries to understand what it means to believe.