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U.Q.

By Ivar MURD

ESTONIAN FILM INSTITUTE - as SALES / FIN / PROMO

Documentary - Completed 2021

A documentary recreated on 8mm, VHS, Beta, and DV about the life of Uku Kuut - son of famous Soviet Jazz Diva Marju Kuut, child refugee to Sweden, musical visionary of Los Angeles, and businessman in Eastern Europe - who lost his battle with ALS in 2017.

- Year of production
- 2021
- Genres
- Documentary, Biography
- Countries
- ESTONIA
- Languages
- ESTONIAN, ENGLISH
- Duration
- 85 mn
- Director(s)
- Ivar MURD
- Producer(s)
- Margus ÕUNAPUU (FILM TOWER)
- Synopsis
- Uku Kuut was a musical visionary in early 90’s L.A. His mother was the Soviet Union’s biggest jazz diva, the so-called “Estonian Nina Simone” Marju Kuut. They escaped from the KGB as refugees to Sweden in the 80’s, sought fame and fortune in America in the 90’s, and then returned East just as the Bloc was collapsing. Uku was forced to grow up and become a business man, with a huge house and a sports car, an expensive marriage and a second chance at love in his middle age. When he was diagnosed with ALS in 2006 he decided to dedicate himself fully to his music. In a twist of fate, he was then discovered by cult U.S. label PPU Records and is now known from Japan to Mexico.
  Uku kept an extensive personal archive: home videos from L.A. and Post-Soviet Estonia, TV performances, family photos, polaroids, whimsical 8mm reels…We have filled in the blanks on the same formats and created a film that’s as funky as his music.