Eating Time: Mari Kivi’s Poetic Puppet Film Explores Memory and Ritual
Estonia’s stop-motion scene continues to flourish with the release of Eating Time, a new 16-minute puppet film directed by Mari Kivi and produced at the legendary Nukufilm Studio. The project, completed in 2025, showcases the studio’s mastery of handcrafted animation while pushing the boundaries of surreal storytelling.
The film opens in the aftermath of an explosion. An elderly woman, displaced into a shoemaker’s workshop, begins a journey through a labyrinth of shifting floors. Past and present overlap as she encounters her younger self and recalls a childhood incident where she swallowed a key. That key becomes a gateway to hidden passageways, and through strange “eating rituals” she is able to slip through time and confront her memories.
While Eating Time contains no dialogue, its imagery communicates a rich tapestry of symbolism. Themes of trauma, memory, and the inexorable rhythm of life echo throughout the film, conveyed through tactile sets, puppetry, and carefully composed lighting. The absence of words underscores the universality of the story — anyone can feel the weight of time pressing forward.
The Director Behind the Vision
Mari Kivi, born in 1984, studied painting at Pallas University of Applied Sciences and later animation at the Estonian Academy of Arts, graduating with honors in 2018. Her earlier works, including Food Chain (2018) and Contact (2019), toured extensively on the festival circuit, appearing at Annecy, Stuttgart, IndieLisboa, and others. Kivi is also one of the founders of Animist Tallinn, Estonia’s animation festival, reflecting her deep commitment to both creating and curating animation art.
Production Details
Eating Time was produced by Kerdi Oengo and Märt Kivi, with cinematography by Ragnar Neljandi and script by Raivo Möllits. The project was supported by the Estonian Film Institute and the Estonian Cultural Endowment, key organizations that have long nurtured independent animation in the region.
True to Nukufilm’s roots, the film was crafted using classical puppet animation — every character, object, and movement built and captured frame by frame. The studio, which has been producing puppet films since 1957, continues to stand as a cornerstone of stop-motion innovation in Europe.
Reception and Screenings
Eating Time is already beginning its festival journey, with official selections at the Fredrikstad Animation Festival 2025 and appearances in the Tirana Film Festival program. Variety has cited the project as an example of Estonia’s thriving stop-motion industry, a recognition that underlines its potential international impact.
For Kivi, the film represents not only a personal exploration of memory but also a continuation of Estonia’s long tradition of poetic, handmade animation. With its dreamlike imagery and striking craftsmanship, Eating Time invites audiences into a world where the past and present are ingested, processed, and transformed.
Sources
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Nukufilm Archive: Eating Time
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Estonian Film Database (EFIS): Eating Time
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Tirana Film Festival: Eating Time
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Skwigly: Fredrikstad Animation Festival 2025 Competition Line-up
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Nukufilm Vimeo Trailer: Eating Time Trailer
