The Polar Boy

Boy with two faces meets girl with two souls.

Mattias has a dream to become a photography student of the Berlin Arts Academy. On the journey of following his calling, his dream is constantly put to a test after Mattias falls in love with a beautiful free spirit Hanna. Trying to win her heart, Mattias feels the need to prove Hanna, that he can be just as adventurous and unpredictable as she is. Breaking the law together with Hanna, Mattias risks everything dear to him, not knowing yet, that Hanna's bold acts are only the symptoms of bipolar disorder. In the moment of jelousy Mattias accidentally commits a crime that could put him behind bars for years. The only escape he sees is to get himself declared irresponsible. In order to achieve that Mattias decides to start faking the illness her gilfriend really has - bipolarity.

Original Title: POLAARPOISS

Genre: Feature film, Coming-of-age

Director-scriptwriter: Anu Aun

Producer: Priit Pääsuke

Executive Producer: Kaspar Kaljas

Director of photography: Heiko Sikka

Art Director: Jaagup Roomet

Set Designer: Tiiu-Ann Pello

Costume designer: Kristina Lõuk

Premiere: 2016

Development: The script of „The Polar Boy“ was developed by Anu Aun under the supervision of script editor Franz Rodenkirchen during advanced scriptwriters course „Script&Pitch 2008“ and NIPKOW residency program in 2009/2010.

Funding: The development of "The Polar Boy" has been supported by Estonian Film Foundation, Estonian Cultural Endowment, MEDIA desk Estonia, Media Single Project development Funding, Torino Film Lab "Script&Pitch" script development stipend and NIPKOW stipend.

Director's Intention:

„The Polar Boy“ is a story about a talented young man, who is forced to choose between his love and passion for a very complicated girl and the call of the art of photography. For me bipolar disorder is like a third character in Mattias‘ and Hanna’s lovestory. It brings them together, it tears them apart, it evolves from being her torturer, to becoming his saviour. For Hanna, bipolarity is a curse. She has a choice wether to live her life to the fullest, but keep constantly hurting herself and the people close to her or to take drugs that are supposed to help her act „normal“, but rather leave her emotionless and num. For Mattias, bipolarity is the secret that draws him to Hanna, the obstacle that scears him away and finally the vehicle that allowes him to escape responsibility of his actions and avoid jail. On a larger scale this film speaks about bipolarity as a disease of modern society, where people constantly seem to feel the need to pretend to be someone else - someone better according to some twisted scale of values - and about the fears and dangers of failing to stand up to their own expectations. It’s also a story about discovering, understanding and accepting yourself the way as you are and finding the courage to be true to yourself.