The short film “Crush” is the first joint film project by Andres Kostivi and Martin Kirsipuu, directed based on a script by writer Kaur Riismaa. The film stars Tanel Ting (Tenet, Siberian Police) from Ugala Theatre and Elar Vahter (Truth and Justice, Goodbye USSR) from Rakvere Theatre. Crush was filmed in Tallinn, Viru Centre, in July 2021.
It is a humorous short story that follows the unexpected meeting and journey of two men in a large shopping mall. The film was inspired by the coronavirus pandemic, while also addressing timeless themes such as loneliness and the self-searching of a young soul, through humor and unexpected characters.
“Crush” has garnered several awards and nominations internationally over the past year, winning first place at The Black Panther International Short Film Festival (India) and Vesuvius International Film Fest (Italy), and also making it to the finals and finalists at Sensei FilmFest (Japan), Lonely Wolf London International Film Festival (UK) and Stafford Film Festival (UK), and Fotofilm International Short Film Festival (Turkey). Crush received the most nominations in the COVID-19 and science fiction film categories. The film received positive reviews for its good acting and bold script.
"I'm pleased to see that Crush has received positive feedback from foreign countries and that viewers are reading very different messages from it. Some see more elements of loneliness during the pandemic, others see science fiction. Martin and I were inspired to make the film by the desire to show that it is possible to make a film in Estonia, even with a very limited budget and time, and to speak to audiences outside of Estonia," said the film's director, Andres Kostiv.
One of the film's main cast members, Elar Vahter (Rakvere Theatre), said he was inspired to join the film by the craziness of the filmmakers. "When a lawyer and a designer approach you with a plan to make a short film and shoot it in a shopping mall in just three days, it seems like a crazy enough idea to go with. And since we had just come out of strict corona restrictions, the film's unexpected story also spoke to me," said Vahter.
Crush is directed and cinematographer Andres Kostiv, co-directed by Martin Kirsipuu. Screenplay by Kaur Riismaa, starring Elar Vahter and Tanel Ting.
David Vseviov, Rain Rannu, Jaak Kilmi, Helen Takkin, Margus Prangel, Rando Arand, Margus Voll, etc. have also contributed to the making of the film with their advice. This is a non-profit film project, featuring both professional and amateur actors.
The film was completed in the summer of 2022 and went on to compete in international film festivals for a year. In addition, the film was added to the ETV2 television channel in the fall of 2023 and was also available for streaming on Jupiter for three months.