FilmEU students and enthusiasts will have the unique opportunity to engage with experts in the field, gain insights into cultural transformations, and participate in thought-provoking discussions.
Why Attend DOCTUS SERIES 1?
Meet experts in cinema, history, and migration studies who bring fresh perspectives to pressing topics.
Gain academic insights from leading researchers and filmmakers shaping the future of their fields.
Expand your professional network by connecting with international scholars and fellow students.
Engage in discussions and screenings that explore the complexities of nostalgia, youth, and cultural memory.
Featured Speakers & Sessions
DOCTUS SERIES 1 features an exceptional lineup of scholars and filmmakers, each bringing their expertise to Tallinn University for engaging lectures and discussions.
Kristo Nurmis – Politics and Youth in Late 1980s–Early 1990s Estonia
Dr. Kristo Nurmis, a historian at Tallinn University, will explore the political landscape of late-Soviet Estonia and the role of youth during this pivotal period.
Mari Laaniste – Nostalgic Reconstruction in Estonian Cinema in the 1990s
A researcher at the Estonian Academy of Arts, Mari Laaniste will discuss how Estonian films reflected and reconstructed cultural memory post-Soviet era.
Teet Teinemaa – A Wrong Kind of Nostalgia in Contemporary Estonian Films
Dr. Teet Teinemaa, Associate Professor at Tallinn University, will critically analyze how nostalgia is represented and sometimes misused in contemporary Estonian cinema.
Tasos Giapoutzis – Displaced Memories: Nostalgia, Migration, and the Cinematic Reconstruction of Home
Filmmaker and lecturer at the University of Essex, Tasos Giapoutzis will examine the role of film in reconstructing experiences of migration and displacement.
Elen Lotman – Screening of "Goodbye Soviet Union" & Q&A
Renowned cinematographer Elen Lotman will present a screening of Goodbye Soviet Union, followed by an in-depth discussion about her cinematographic approach.
Tanya Escudero – Migration and Communication in a Globalized World
A research fellow at Tallinn University, Dr. Tanya Escudero will analyze how translation and communication impact migration narratives and intercultural interactions.
Diego Barajas Riaño & Carlos Lesmes – Chronotopes of Nostalgia: A Site-Specific Film
Filmmakers Diego Barajas Riaño and Carlos Lesmes will present their project on how film, nostalgia, and memory interact with public spaces and storytelling.
Join the Conversation
DOCTUS SERIES 1 is open to FilmEU students, researchers, and anyone passionate about cinema, history, and cultural studies.
Don't miss this opportunity to engage with leading experts, gain new insights, and participate in exclusive screenings and discussions.
📍 Location: Tallinn University
📅 Dates: March 26–27, 2025
Dr. Kristo Nurmis, a historian and lecturer at the Institute of Humanities, Tallinn University, will dive deep into the political dynamics and the experiences of youth during this transformative period in Estonia’s history.
Kristo earned his PhD in Russian and East European history from Stanford University (2022), and his research has focused on the complex relationship between propaganda, violence, and collaboration in Baltic societies under Soviet and Nazi rule. More recently, he’s been exploring late-socialist society in Soviet Estonia, particularly the position and self-identification of war veterans and youth during the 1960s to the 1980s.
Mari Laaniste, a researcher and lecturer at the Institute of Art History and Visual Culture, Estonian Academy of Arts, will explore how Estonian cinema in the 1990s navigated nostalgia and the complex reintegration with the West.
Mari’s research focuses on Estonian animation and fiction film , with a PhD dissertation on the late-Soviet experience in Estonian animation and cartoons. She currently holds a follow-up grant at EKA, delving into the impact of post-Soviet Estonian visual culture. Beyond her research, Mari has edited books, curated exhibitions, and contributed as a critic.
Dr. Teet Teinemaa, Associate Professor in Film Studies at Tallinn University, Baltic Film, Media and Arts School , will delve into the complexities of nostalgia in contemporary Estonian cinema. His research explores how nostalgia is portrayed and sometimes misrepresented in film, offering a critical lens on modern cinematic trends.
Teet holds a PhD from the University of Warwick (UK) and completed his post-doctoral research at Tallinn University. He currently leads the FilmEU initiative, a network of eight European film schools, and is involved in the HORIZON WIDERA research project .
His work spans across themes of ageing, nostalgia, finance in film , and "quality TV". Teet has contributed articles to leading journals such as Film International, Journal of Ageing Studies, and Studies in Eastern European Cinema. He also co-edits the Baltic Screen Media Review.
Tasos Giapoutzis, a filmmaker and Lecturer in Film at the University of Essex , will delve into the complex themes of nostalgia, migration, and the cinematic reconstruction of home.
Born and raised in Greece , Tasos has a unique perspective on the intersections of filmmaking, memory , and displacement. His films have been showcased at over 100 international film festivals, and his feature documentary Quiet Life (2019) premiered at the 21st Thessaloniki Documentary Festival and the 18th DokuFest in Kosovo. Tasos is currently working on Mnemonic Muse , a docufiction film exploring nostalgia and migration through a blend of fiction and non-fiction.
Tasos is also completing a monograph on nostalgia in European cinema , set to be published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2025. This session offers a rare opportunity to explore how film can capture and reconstruct the experience of displacement and the longing for home.
Elen Lotman is a renowned cinematographer, screenwriter, and director, with an extensive career that spans across the globe. Having filmed in locations such as Japan, Tibet, China, India, and the Russian Arctic, Elen’s work has been featured in prestigious film festivals, including IFFI Goa, Black Nights Film Festival, and Moscow FF. Her films have earned nominations for the Camerimage Golden Frog and awards for best cinematography at BNFF.
In 2021, Elen completed her PhD with laudatur in experiential heuristics of feature film cinematography and is now an Associate Professor of Film Arts at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (BFM) of Tallinn University. Her work extends beyond filmmaking—her virtual exhibitions for Tallinn Art Hall were hailed among the best by The New York Times and Wallpaper.
Tanya Escudero, a research fellow at the School of Humanities, Tallinn University, will explore the vital intersection of translation, intercultural communication, and migration in today’s globalized society.
Tanya holds an MA in Translation for International Communication and a PhD in Translation from the University of Vigo. Her research focuses on how translation and communication practices can foster the inclusion of migrant communities and linguistic minorities. Her postdoctoral project, "Ideology in Translation: Political Discourse on Migration in the Media", funded by the Estonian Research Council**, delves into the impact of migration narratives in the media and their influence on public perception.
She has also led important projects such as "Improving communication with migrants for crisis preparedness: lessons learned from COVID-19", funded by the Council of the Baltic Sea States, and is currently working on the project "Translation, Migration, and Democracy", funded by the Kone Foundation in Finland.
Diego Barajas Riaño, a Colombian filmmaker and cinematographer, will present his groundbreaking artistic work, exploring the intersection between **narrative cinema** and public space. Diego’s projects have been featured at renowned festivals like **IDFA**, **San Sebastián Film Festival, SXSW, and Black Nights Film Festival, and he has worked with major international channels such as ARTE and Radio Télévision Suisse.
His artistic research delves into site-specific filmmaking , rethinking audience participation and storytelling. Diego’s work also examines the auratic nature of cinema , particularly as it connects to place and explores nostalgia** as a tool for enriching the relationship between people and their environments.
His collaboration with Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in Latin America has deepened his understanding of cinema as a platform for cultural dialogue , collective creation , and spatial connection
Carlos Lesmes, a Colombian filmmaker based in Estonia, will join Diego Barajas Riaño for a presentation that explores how fiction, particle physics, and the relationship between memory and reality intertwine in storytelling.
Carlos’ first feature documentary, A Loss of Something Ever Felt (2019), premiered at Hot Docs and won the Audience Award at the Bogota International Film Festival 2020. His work delves into the human experience, reminding us of our shared humanity and the way we perceive reality and memory. Carlos is also currently developing his first fiction film and enjoys walking his dog, Paprika.