Narva festival bringing theaters from around the world to Estonian border city
This week, the third Narva International Freedom Theatre Festival brings theaters from around the world to the Northeastern Estonian border city, with local features joined by productions from Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, Kuwait, Pakistan and more.
Directed by Mari-Liis Lill and starring Estonian actors, "Internal Climate" is a documentary theater production about Narva's most mysterious building — the covert Soviet-era military factory Baltijets, unmarked on maps.
Though the factory has long ceased to exist, its workers still live on in Narva, continuing to shape the city's internal climate.
The production is based on interviews with former Baltijets workers, historians and Narva youth.
Actor Henrik Kalmet said people often have a very black-and-white view of Narva.
"Somewhere there's an 'us' — the Estonians — and then Narva is this really exotic place with lots of Russian people," he said, describing a common trope. But there are also those who shuttle back and forth between these two worlds. "I'm trying to portray one such person onstage myself," he added.
Premiering at this week's festival is "Who Am I?" a new production by director Merle Karusoo showcasing the resilience of Ukrainian war veterans and signaling that it's high time for us to wake up. This production is also based on interviews with actual war veterans in Ukraine.
The third Narva International Freedom Theatre Festival kicks off Friday, August 15, with 16 productions staged at various locations around the city. This year's lineup includes theaters from Kyrgyzstan to Chile and from Pakistan to Turkey.
"The program places special emphasis on documentary theater, exploring themes of freedom, memory, and destruction — often through the lens of female artists," festival organizers said, promising a rich and thought-provoking artistic experience.
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Editor: Johanna Alvin, Aili Vahtla
