Storytelling... that's what distinguishes this deceptively simple, utterly ingenious mystery, a deadpan (or "bedpan," if you will) black comedy set in an unspectacular Estonian backwater. Comatose after a shooting incident-and it becomes clear that this is the most dramatic incident to have rocked this town in decades-Lauri (Siim Maaten) is cared for by his long-suffering mother, Elsa (Tiina Mälberg), with little help from her husband Arvo, who might as well be in a coma himself.

As a steady stream of visitors drop by their modest home to check on the patient, we begin to understand that while teacher Lauri was well-liked, especially by his female students, he had also taken out a big chunk of savings shortly before the shooting, and the whereabouts of that cash are uppermost in mind for most, including the increasingly desperate Elsa.

It would be unforgivable to spill any more secrets here. Suffice to say this an extremely accomplished and incisive piece of work, a scorpion of a movie with a distinctly dim view of human nature. 

Kadri Kõusaar – Director