"The Circle" 2019
The Circle_1

The Circle

To change the world, one needs to start within.

The film follows a group of adults and their children who in the summer of 2014, decide to leave their customary life arrangement and start the first intentional eco-community in Estonia.

They scrap together their savings and buy an old manor lot with 33 hectars of agricultural land and 3750 square meters of half-derelict houses.

Their experiment was inspired by the growing movement of global eco-villages. They step out of society as we know it, deconstructing the basic pillars of life, from nuclear family, to education, to relationships and consumption. Their goal is to build non-violent co-operative relations among themselves, harmonious relations, and sustainable life style with a small footprint.

The film follows the dramatic events in the community for 5 years, from their blissful idealistic beginnings in 2014 until their dramatic collapse in 2019.

Director:
Margit Lillak
DoP:
Margit Lillak, Mihkel Soe, Paavo Eensalu
Editors:
Jaak Ollino Jr, Helis Hirve
Sound:
Mart Otsa
Sound Design:
Harmo Kallaste
Composer:
Sten Sheripov
Producer:
Johanna Trass
International Sales:
Eeter Docs (Contact: Karlo Funk, info@eeterdocs.eu)
95 min / DCP / 16:9 / 5.1
Domestic release 2020
The Circle_3

“The Circle” festivals:

  • Docu Talents from the East 2019, Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Ji.hlava IDFF 2019, Czech Republic
  • DocPoint Tallinn 2020, Estonia
  • DocPoint Helsinki 2020, Finland
  • One World International Human Rights Documentary FF 2020, Czech Republic
  • Millennium Documentary Film festival Brussels 2020, Belgium
  • Millennium Docs Against Gravity documentary Film Festival 2020, Poland
  • Docaviv – the Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival 2020, Israel
"The Circle" 2019