''Firewater'' () is

Hardi Volmer Hardi Volmer (born 8 November 1957 in Pärnu) is an Estonian film director, puppet theatre set decorator and musician. Volmer is the singer in the Estonian punk rock band Singer Vinger. Animated cartoons *"Imeline nääriöö" (Wonderful New ...

's history-based thriller released in 1994. ''Tulivesi'' is based on the historical situation in

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

at the end of 1920s and sets a precedent of the struggle between the Estonian government and the spirit-smugglers. This film is dedicated to those who carry on the difficult and hopeless struggle against the narcotic business.

Plot

At the end of the 1920s the Finnish government proclaimed

dry law Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic be ...

which lasted 12 years. Estonian bootleggers living on the neighboring coast of the

Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland (; ; ; ) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and Estonia to the south, to Saint Petersburg—the second largest city of Russia—to the east, where the river Neva drains into it. ...

profited from prohibition which staggered Finnish economy. In the fishermen's fictional village called Ropsi accedes a new honest chief of the border guard station, lieutenant Aleksander Kattai (role cast by Jaan Tätte) who wants to "lay down the law and order". At the same time the most famous of the village's spirit-smugglers, Eerik Ekström ( Erik Ruus) drives over the Gulf of Finland with his queuely firewater-cargo. He has spirit cans in his boat and also behind it in the sequential position (spirit smugglers call it "spirit-torpedo") Lieutenant Kattai sees on those days Hilda Sibul, the Ekström's fiancée. This role is performed by an actress

Epp Eespäev Epp Eespäev (born 25 October 1961 in Võru) is an Estonian actress. In 1988 she graduated from Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Tallinn State Conservatory. Since 1988 she is working at Tallinn City Theatre. Eespäev was previously married ...

. They fall in love, but their good relationship does not last long. In this point start the thrilling escapes and catchings, the plot's sting of the tails. Lieutenant Kattai finds out the very high governmental circles are involved to "the Ropsi firewater-smuggling case". An Estonian minister Tui (

Lembit Ulfsak Lembit Ulfsak (4 July 1947 – 22 March 2017) was an Estonian stage and film actor. Ulfsak starred in the 2014 film Tangerines (film), ''Tangerines'' which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Foreign Language F ...

) and a high-rank officer of the Estonian Navy papa Nymann (

Ain Lutsepp Ain Lutsepp (born 6 May 1954) is an Estonian actor and politician. Early life and education Born in Tallinn, Ain Lutsepp began his career as a child actor at age thirteen as the character Tõnisson in the 1969 Arvo Kruusement directed Estonia ...

) profit from the contrabandism and want to bull through dry law also in the Estonian parliament. Minister Tui agitates for dry law using extremely hypocritical methods (indications to the

temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting Temperance (virtue), temperance or total abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and ...

). Lieutenant Kattai's background is interesting, so he opens himself: "I am lieutenant Kattai, a former soldier of

armoured train An armoured train (Commonwealth English) or armored train (American English) is a railway train protected with heavy metal plating and which often includes railway wagons armed with artillery, machine guns, and autocannons. Some have also h ...

unit number two. After the war I remained with the border of guard. Until now I was at the southern border, near Pihkva. There was firing every day, Russian salesmen and smugglers, red agents." Those facts indicate to the

Estonian War of Independence The Estonian War of Independence, also known as the War of Freedom in Estonia, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Soviet Russian westward offensive of 1918–1919 and the ...

Background

The first period of independence has always been very honoured among the Estonians and they named these 21 years "the golden age of Estonia". "Firewater" movie seems to be tender, postcard-like remembrance of these days. A serious question "is this the same Estonia we fought for?" echoes through the film. Because of feeling critics named the film "the best Estonian thriller ever
¹
''Tulivesi'' premiered in fall 1994 and received the first award of the Estonian Movie Critics Association. The author of original music was Olav Ehala, cinematography was by Arko Okk. The plot was written by Ott Sandrak and

Cast

as Hilda * Erik Ruus as Eerik * Jaan Tätte as Aleks *

as Nymann *

as Tui *

Tõnu Kark Tõnu Kark (born 4 December 1947 in Tallinn) is an Estonian actor. His older brother is actor and caricaturist Feliks Kark. Notable roles Notable film roles: * '' Nest of Winds'' (1979) * '' Metskannikesed'' (1980) * '' Nukitsamees'' (1981) * ' ...

as Julius * Raivo Mets as Mart * Eduard Toman as Einari *

Marko Matvere Marko Matvere (born 4 February 1968) is an Estonian actor and singer. He was the lead actor of the Tallinn City Theatre, but left to become a freelance actor in 2004. Biography Matvere was born in Pärnu and graduated from the Tallinn Conservat ...

as Pilli-Villu *

Eve Kivi Eve Kivi (born Eeve Kivi on 8 May 1938) is an Estonian actress. Biography In 1959 she graduated from the Estonian Drama Theatre's learning studio. She has worked at Tallinnfilm and Mosfilm. Since 1955 she has appeared in about 50 films. From ...

as Lulu *

Arvo Kukumägi Arvo Kukumägi (9 August 1958 in Litvina, Setomaa – 16 May 2017) was an Estonian film and theatre actor. In 1980 he graduated from the Tallinn State Conservatory's Performing Arts Department. From 1980 to 1984 he was an actor at the Tallinn Cit ...

as Türgi Joss *Janika Piibemaa as Tui's secretary * Enn Kraam as Eerik's father

References

External links

"Tulivesi" in the home page of Estonian Television.
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Firewater 1994 films Estonian thriller films