NH vod
Ann Was Here
In 2001 Estonia, 15-year-old Ann discovers her strict mother’s wild punk past hidden in an old teenage diary and runs away to taste that freedom for herself. Guiding her along the way is Mürts, an imaginary friend Ann conjures from the diary’s pages – her mother at sixteen.
Ann Kees, 15, burdened by high expectations and strict parental control, stumbles upon her mother Kärt’s, 32, hidden past through a diary in the basement. Shocked to learn that her father isn’t her biological parent– and that her mother once led a rebellious punk life– Ann’s world is turned upside down. Determined to break free, she runs away to her friend’s abandoned summer house in Võsu, where the intoxicating blend of newfound freedom, reckless party culture, and the unfamiliar ache of wanting forces her into a harsh confrontation with her own identity. Guiding–and haunting–her along the way is Mürts, a sharp-tongued, magnetic girl Ann’s subconscious conjures from the diary’s pages: a 16-year-old version of her mom, both imaginary and all too real.
Pitching team
Kristofer Piir
Kristofer Piir is a producer at Allfilm, one of Estonia’s leading production companies (est. 1995). His recent credits include ‘3rd Octave F’ (short) and the award-winning feature hybrid documentary ‘Who Am I Smiling For?’ by Eeva Mägi. ‘Ann Was Here,’ currently being developed at Midpoint Series Launch, is a first joint endeavor with writer-director Vivian Säde and producer Volia Chajkouskaya.
Vivian Säde
Vivian Säde is a screenwriter, director, and producer from Tallinn, Estonia. Through her company Moondustfilms, she tells stories about (Estonian) girlhood, blending offbeat comedy-drama with a touch of otherworldliness. Säde is currently in pre-production with Allfilm on the already award-winning short film project 'Mari, Sweetie' (set to release in 2026), and created the multi-season coming-of-age web series 'Kalamaja Blues' (2023–, Yle, ERR), which features Estonia’s first-ever queer relationship on the national broadcaster. She holds an MA in Screenwriting from Screen Academy Scotland (cum laude). She first encountered 'Kuidas elad, Ann?'—the source material for 'Ann Was Here' —at age 14, when it was (and still is) required reading in Estonian middle schools. Ann’s story moved her deeply then, and now, as she finds herself closer in age to Ann’s mother Kärt, it resonates in a new and equally powerful way.
