‘Your Humble Servant’ had its international premiere at La Città dell'Utopia International Film Festival

Director Marta Terribile’s ‘Your Humble Servant’ had its world premiere at PÖFF Shorts on 13. November 2024. Its international premiere took place at La Città dell'Utopia International Film Festival in Rome between June 26th and June 29th, 2025. ‘Your Humble Servant’ is a short documentary film about the art of clowning. The film was directed by Marta Terrible and shot by Siim-Kaspar Kollamaa. Haide Männamäe and Toomas Tross are Estonia’s most recognisable clown duo who have been performing together as Piip and Tuut since 1998. The film follows them as they navigate the tensions of artistic collaboration and the meaning of their work. All the while, they prepare a show in Tallinn’s Botanical Garden as winter descends outside. The director, Marta Terribile, was inspired by her own background in theatre and fascination for clown art. “I have had a longstanding fascination with clown art, particularly how it can convey  such touching and profound meanings through apparent simplicity and lightheartedness.” Through research, she discovered Piip and Tuut. “After talking to them, I immediately knew they shared the same vision of their craft and had so much inspiring wisdom to share. I knew I had found my characters.” ‘Your Humble Servant’ was shot in Tallinn’s Botanical Garden, which ended up playing an important role in the film. Terribile said, “We were filming in March, and, being from Italy, I really didn't expect a huge snowfall to suddenly cover all the surroundings in thick snow. I was very touched by the duality it created.” Terribile found it special to create a warm, childlike show inside the lush, thriving botanical garden, while outside, they were surrounded by cold, silence, and snow. Surprisingly, the language barrier ended up shaping the film. “At the time, I barely understood any Estonian, which led me to follow the characters like a fly on the wall rather than trying to guide their conversations or interview them. I think this created a wonderful opportunity for the characters to forget they were being watched, allowing beautiful and spontaneous moments to emerge that we might otherwise have missed.” Written by Lotta Raidna