Chainsaws Were Singing
Chainsaws Were Singing
Now that’s a little creepy: Sander Maran’s Chainsaws Were Singing, which was set to be the opening film for the current Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival (HÕFF), won the award for Best Estonian Genre Film on Sunday. It likewise went home with the Audience Award as well.
“Haapsalu had its usual share of chainsaw noises this year because of the growing reputation of genre films in Estonia,” remarked festival and programme director, Helmut Jänes, to CineEuropa (see the interview), addressing Maran’s film as “a joyful expression of youth and humor, but also of the ability of the filmmakers to captivate the audience till the end. […] As predicted, it really suited the mood at HÕFF and of course we are happy that all side programmes lived up to the expectations of the fans.”
Kaur Maran, Sander Maran, Karl-Joosep Ilves, and Jan Andresson produced this nearly a decade-long musical horror-comedy, which has indeed fulfilled all expectations as far as reviews are concerned. The festival had earlier termed Maran’s efforts as “One volume of joyous absurd with inventive slaughter scenes, trolls blazing away with chainsaws and loads of hot absurdity like bulldog midgets and an evil bukkake fridge.” In short: not for kids.
“I’m speechless! I. No. Words. For. It. It was one of those feelings that as a filmmaker I only hoped and dreamed would ever happen. Seeing Chainsaws Were Singing flicker on a screen and actually hearing that kind of loud and outrageous laughter was a dream come true,” expressed the filmmaker in gratitude to the festival. “But then again, getting a standing ovation after the musical numbers… that is something I never even dreamt of. Wow. When a lot of things went all the way to the head, it would be- ‘What a Weekend.’ Lots of fun out there with the team and the super charismatic audience.”
This time the 19th edition of HÕFF was finished with Boy Kills World starring Bill Skarsgård, saw the animated short Wander to Wonder by Nina Grantz take the Short Film Méliès d’Argent with the jury saying that the short is “a brave combination of comedy, tragedy and even horror,” Therefore the jury’s decision was unanimous.
“Beautifully chaotic by design, yet deeply unsettling at its core, it is an ideal framing device for the jarring nature of the characters’ flawed humanity. Blending all of these components into one scale made the filmmaker be able to do just that and more without losing the main ideas behind it all.”
Solstice-5, a “hard-hitting, intellectual welfare”, had a Special Mention for Paul Chadeisson. Duplicity tell by Alex Topaller and Dan Shapiro claimed the Navigator Pirx Prize for Best Sci-Fi Film.
In accordance with tradition, the festival also included a charity auction of film memorabilia in aid of Ukraine, raising a record 5,325 Euros and ‘urging other film festivals to do the same.’ Surprisingly, a driving permit from Chainsaws Were Singing was purchased for 600 Euros together with signatures from the cast; the other chainsaw, the one used in the film, was sold during the opening ceremony.
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