This article is best read whilst listening to: Rainy Night in Tallinn – Ludwig Göransson.
Estonian – Australians are well used to long haul flights – it takes roughly a full day to get from the small cold northern country to the large hot southern country. A harrowing trip, but one mitigated by the ability to binge an entire season of the latest streaming morsel offered by your carrier of choice.
One such offering is the recent incarnation of the The Day of the Jackal – a ten-part 2024 series starring Eddie Redmayne. A key character within is fictional tech entrepreneur, the Estonian/Palestinian, Ulle Dag Charles – an anagram for Charles de Gaulle who was the principal target in the original 1971 novel. Why is the character Estonian? Maybe because Ulle is an Estonian first name (though typically female) but also because it allows the movie to feature Tallinn as a key location.
A critical construct of espionage genre thrillers is the use of exotic locations. Think of every Bond movie, the Bourne series and Mission Impossible. The more historical, yet paradoxically modern, the city, the better. Add in a dose of current geopolitical tension, an overcast atmosphere and a stylish populace (think long swishing overcoats) and the city picks itself. No surprise, Australian cities rarely feature in such movies – limited history and too sunny!
Whilst Tallinn is prominent in The Day of the Jackal narrative, the actual filming of the Estonian sequences took place in other European cities. Cities like Rijeka and Split in Croatia were used to represent Estonian urban environments and the central “Tallinn” theatre scene was shot in Müpa in Budapest, Hungary. Many of the Estonian characters are accordingly played by actors with no Estonian connection, complete with questionable accents (but at least one rings true).
In contrast, Christopher Nolan’s 2020 thriller starring Australian Elizabeth Debicki, Tenet, took a different approach to Estonia’s cinematic presence. Tallinn provided a backdrop for some of the film’s most memorable sequences, notably the car chase on Laagna Road and the approximation of the Kyiv Opera House in Linnahall. Estonia’s crisp modernity and Northern historical charm were front and centre, helping ground Tenet’s labyrinth like narrative in a recognizable, tangible world. Although Tenet includes Tallinn in its story line, most of the Estonian shot scenes are representations of other cities.
These two productions illustrate the varied ways filmmakers use geography to serve storytelling. While The Day of the Jackal leverages other cities adaptability to recreate Estonia, Tenet immerses itself in the genuine locales of Tallinn, as well as providing a canvas to represent other European cities. Such decisions reveal the dance between practical constraints, creative vision, and the audience’s suspension of disbelief.
They also help shape Tallinn’s brand as a cool place to visit!
