To quote the legendary Estonian poet Juhan Liiv: “My sun doesn’t recognize me; the night is left to me.” It’s 1894. In these dark and frightening times, a secret hope begins to bloom in the hearts of Estonians – a hope of breaking free from the chains of Russian rule. The courageous Juhan Liiv expressed these patriotic dreams in his poetry, only to be locked up in a psychiatric clinic in Tartu. The brilliant actor Pääru Oja portrays the *persona non grata* of Juhan Liiv, solving mysteries in his gloomy homeland, guided by his inner whispers and his passion for helping Mari. The film follows Juhan’s struggle to defend himself against false accusations, deceitful friends, and worsening mental illness. Amidst this chaos, he still managed to dream and write about freedom – a concept unknown at the time, even in poetry. Edvinas Pukšta

Events website: http://hoff.ee/film/vari