Madness

Madness

Directed by Kaljo Kiisk • 1969 • USSR/Estonia

Hailed as Estonia’s first truly modern feature film, Kaljo Kiisk’s mind-bending satire of authoritarianism and self-delusion pushed the boundaries of Soviet propriety and was banned from theatres for nearly twenty years. In an unnamed, occupied country at the end of the Second World War, the Gestapo are planning on exterminating the residents of a remote asylum. But there’s a catch: reports suggest British agents are hiding among the patients. Officer Windisch (legendary Estonian actor Jüri Järvet) must go undercover to root out the imposters – soon putting his own sense of sanity and faith in the fascist cause on the line.

MADNESS • HULLUMEELSUS
Directed by Kaljo Kiisk
Written by Viktors Lorencs
Cinematography by Anatoly Zabolotsky and Andrei Dobrovolsky
Music by Lembit Veevo
Starring: Jüri Järvet, Vaclovas Blēdis, Valery Nosik

In Estonian with English subtitles

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Madness
  • Madness

    Directed by Kaljo Kiisk • 1969 • USSR/Estonia

    Hailed as Estonia’s first truly modern feature film, Kaljo Kiisk’s mind-bending satire of authoritarianism and self-delusion pushed the boundaries of Soviet propriety and was banned from theatres for nearly twenty years. In an unnamed, occupied count...

Extras

  • Video Essay: The Shakespearean face of Soviet Sci-Fi

    From Shakespeare to Solaris: Estonia’s Jüri Järvet burst onto the international scene in the 1970s with a series of performances of unusual intensity. From the title role in Grigorii Kozintsev’s daring vision of King Lear, to some of the biggest cult titles in Baltic film history, and Andrei Tark...

  • Notes on Madness

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