(EUFF) Film Review #62: KALEV [Screened on 20 May 2023]

For a Baltic team playing in a Soviet basketball championship amidst the upheavals of the Soviet Union’s dissolution and other states’ struggle for independence, Kalev’s decision to continue playing was seen as traitorous and problematic. Yet, as the film demonstrates through the vignettes of the coaches’ and players’ lives, basketball is all they know. Already, they are not receiving sufficient funding and support from the state to make ends meet for themselves and their families, Without the financial reward of winning the championship, their livelihoods were at stake. In this lens, playing in the Soviet league is less an upholding of the Soviet Union’s supremacy in the region, but more an existential need for survival. 

Where the film is extremely effective is its ability to engender camaraderie and empathy with the basketball team members: Its vignettes present their individual lives, the music creates empowerment and excitement, and the writing’s studious structure keeps the story clear and focused on the main arc. The standout, however, is Mait Malmsten’s turn as coach Jaak Salumets whose three-dimensional moments going between anger and gentleness, kindness and cruelty, confidence and loss, make both the basketball team and Estonia’s lived experience relatable and understood. It helps that Salumets bears strong resemblances to both Paul Giamatti and Ted Lasso actor Jason Sudeikis in physicality and spirit, similarly warm and empathetic in nature.

However, for a 90-minute film that remained focused on the team’s overall championship experience, there are moments and potential arcs director Ove Musting chooses to neglect. These are moments where an audience member would wish that the film was a little longer to explore the unique phenomenon and experience of the team in stronger detail. For one, the inclusion of an African-American player George Jackson within the team could have opened up a more complex arc focusing on the experience of race and perspective of Estonia in the late 80s. For another, the fact that coach Jaak Salumets’s mentor-mentee relationship with the coach of the Soviet team is mentioned only towards the end of the film points to an under-realised arc that not only could have presented a political argument but could have developed the person of Salumets in stronger entirety. Nonetheless, in spite of these missing arcs, the film’s steely focus still keeps the film engaging enough for those who only want to care about the championship and the results of that game.

In the Estonian Ambassador to Singapore’s introduction before the film, he compared Estonia to Singapore, two small countries that might be seen as underdogs. And for a nation like ours that celebrates amidst the victories of our underdogs, most recently in Joseph Schooling’s 2016 Olympic Gold Medal, Kalev is sure to raise the spirit of any audience member who has felt underestimated and ignored. This is a film that celebrates the spirit and courage to fight. 

About the Author: Daryl is fascinated by stories and currently serves as the Festival Director of the Perspectives Film Festival and a programmer at the Singapore International Film Festival and Short Circuit 7. He is an undergraduate at Nanyang Technological University.

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This review was written as part of a series of reviews by SFS writers for European Film Festival 2023.

For more films and info on EUFF 2023, visit the official website: https://www.euff.com.sg/

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About European Film Festival 2023:

The European Film Festival (EUFF) is an annual event that showcases a curated selection of European films. The films showcased in this festival may belong to a specific country, but they are all representative of Europe’s shared cultural heritage. EUFF is a window into the intriguing world of European cinema and also offers a platform to young Singaporean film-makers.

For more about Hilma: https://www.euff.com.sg/film/estonia/kalev

About the Movie:

GENRE: Feature | Political Sports Drama

DIRECTOR: Ove Musting

CAST: Mait Malmsten, Priit Võigemast, Reimo Sagor, Mihkel Kuusk, Howard Frier, Andris Keišs

Synopsis: 

Inspired by real life ‘Kalev’ tells the story of a legendary basketball team’s tense journey through the last championships of the crumbling Soviet Union. In the summer of 1990 as the small Baltic nations struggle to regain their independence, society is divided, there is fear and turmoil on the streets, just as the Soviet Union’s basketball championship is about to begin. The Estonian team Kalev faces a momentous decision. With independence seemingly within arm’s reach, a rising tide of public opinion opposes their participation in the championship. As professional athletes, the team makes the unpopular choice: to play. Against all odds, Kalev makes it to the finals only to find their battle has become much larger.

This review was written as part of a series of reviews by SFS writers for European Film Festival 2023.

For more films and info on EUFF 2023, visit the official website: https://www.euff.com.sg/