Heino Pars 100

The poetic legacy of Estonian animation pioneer Heino Pars

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Heino Pars (13.10.1925 – 08.10.2014), one of the founders of the Estonian puppet film tradition. On 23–26 October, we will celebrate this with a retrospective dedicated to him at the Tartu Elektriteater!

Parsi’s work has been framed since childhood by a deep interest in nature on the one hand and art and theatre on the other. The twists and turns of life led the young man to join the German army during World War II and from there to be taken prisoner by the Russians. His veterinary studies at university were left unfinished and he eventually found a job as an assistant cameraman in the documentary film department of the Tallinnfilm Studio. Meeting Elbert Tuganov led Pars to the filming crew of the first Estonian puppet film “Peter’s Dream (Peetrikese unenägu)” (1957) and through that to the world of animation. In 1961, Tuganov offered Pars the opportunity to start working as a director himself. His directorial debut, “The Little Scooter” (1962), marked the beginning of a new era in Estonian animation history. Pars worked as a director in the puppet department of the Tallinnfilm studio from 1964 to 1990, and 31 puppet films were made under his supervision from 1962. This is an unsurpassed record in Estonian animation.

Heino Pars became known primarily for his unique perception of the world and his popular science approach. The best of his work is characterized by his innovative spirit and his search for new solutions in both content and form. The result was animations that were unique in the context of animation worldwide.

He created a puppet film with a popular science orientation, through which he tried to convey to viewers the wonders of nature, share knowledge and arouse interest in nature. In his films, he dived underwater, explored the bird kingdom and the world of insects, and discovered the processes taking place in the human body. How well Pars’s work reached the hearts of the viewer is also characterized by the fact that one of his most popular characters, the cameraman Kõps, who ventures into nature, gave the nickname to almost all avid photographers. The films resound with warmth and the desire to connect the seemingly unconnected: artificial and natural, puppet and feature film techniques, documentary and fictitious. He emphasized that behind every puppet there is a person who becomes visible on the screen: the essence and thoughts of the person are revealed on the screen.

The Heino Pars retrospective is largely focused on the relationship between man and nature. Almost all of Heino Parsi’s work was aimed at children. “I think about children all the time,” said the filmmaker himself. “Almost everything I have done is dedicated to them. Even when I have looked into nature, trying to show life from an unusual point of view. We must fight with all means for the transformation of man into a more poetic, richer person. We must fight against callousness and indifference, against the rust of naked rationalism, which in our era often begins to corrode the soul at an early age.” In addition, there will be one screening of Heino Pars films aimed at adult viewers.

As part of the retrospective, there will also be a workshop organized by the Elektriteatri School Cinema, during which you can make a short animation from natural materials in the spirit of Heino Pars. We will also be visited by naturalist and photographer Märt Kose, who will help you get acquainted with the work of cameraman Kõps.