>>> A Friend of Mine (Estonia)
ARNE (70), is a passionate bibliophile who works for his hobby - he´s got a job at the library. The little rest of his time he shares with his sweet wife. Then one sudden day brings the death to his spouse. A whole life of stability crashes. Nor his adolescent daughter or dear books are of any help. Loneliness and indifference overrun his life and Arne plots a suicide.
A strange wayfarer SASS (60), who travels with a backpack of books and frequents public libraries to read the newspapers, brings forth a change. Bit by bit he starts to provide Arne with the interest for life again. This is a warm expression of solitude and friendship, played out between funny old men in an ennobled setting of books.
Arne’s soul is starting to heal. Music therapy is helpful too. BBB – Bach, Beethoven and Beatles. But when Arne gets out of the hospital his world collapses. He cannot go back to his home full of painful memories. Sass invites Arne to move in with him. And Ruth too. Because it’s fun to be together!
Sass, Arne and Ruth move to the country to live in Sass’s house. The life is, indeed, beautiful! Only Ruth cannot still chose between the two men. One day she dresses up and offers herself to Arne. Arne refuses. The next evening, however, Arne finds Sass at his door, also dressed up in an extremely pretty frock, asking Arne to kiss him. Well, if he does not like women at all … Arne is an old fashioned man and is not up for such games. Arne leaves. Ruth, however, stays with Sass.
One day Arne returns. Sass is still in a good mood, only he is in a wheelchair now. He has fallen off a roof, when he went up there to rescue a cat. He cannot even move a toe. ‘Great!’ says Sass. Everything will be all right anyway!
Arne kisses Sass on the cheek, as Sass asked that night. As a friend.
Mart Kivastik
Scriptwriter and story editor.
His first short story was published in the literary magazine Vikerkaar in July 1987. Since then Mart Kivastik has published stories and articles on literature, theatre and films in the magazines and in the newspapers.
Books published include : Tomorrow, Sparrow, Love stories, President's children, The Portrait of a Freezing Artist to name a few.
Film credits as a scriptwriter unclude full-lenght Firewate, Taarka and a number of short films. Mart Kivastik is also a playwright, whose plays have been stages all over Estonia and abroad.
Member of the Estonian Writers Society and FIPRESCI.
Prizes:
Prize for the best play from Estonian Culture Foundation (2000 and 2005)
Friedebert Tuglas prize for short story (1999), Ed. Vilde literature prize (2005), Lääne-Virumaa literature prize (2007), Baltic Theatre Festival prize for the play Hellish Stuff (2006).
