Peeter Rebane’s first feature film, ‘Firebird,’ received an overwhelmingly positive response from the critics, partly because it was able to weave a genuine period romance with a poignant LGBTQ undertone. In the novel, Sergey, a Russian army private, is on the verge of terminating his mandatory military service and enrolling in an acting class in the city. The plot revolves around Sergey.
Meanwhile, Sergey begins a relationship with skilled fighter pilot Roman, who is in his dying days of life. What begins as a simple relationship gradually develops into something more, but the setting of the story shifts from a military academy to tranquil beaches and hotels. You may, on the other hand, be curious as to where the movie was shot. In that case, let’s look into it a little more.
Locations for the filming: Firebird
‘Firebird’ was filmed in and around Estonia, Malta, and Russia, with the majority of the action taking place in and around the counties of Harju and Ida Viru in Estonia. Filming began on September 5, 2018, and it is expected to be completed by March 1, 2019. The tragic death of Sergey Fetisov in 2018 caused the production to be delayed to some extent, but the film would not have been made had it not been for Fetisov’s motivation. Take a tour of the areas where the movie was shot now that you’ve seen the general area.
Harju County, Estonia
The majority of the sequences were filmed in the northern Estonian county of Harju, with the remaining parts being filmed in the Estonian city of Tallinn. They shot in Kohvik Komeet, a café located at Estonia pst 9 in Tallinn, during their stay in the city during their stay in the city. They enlisted the assistance of the Tallinn City Council, whose office may be situated at Vana-Viru 12 in Tallinn, Estonia. The Museum of the Fight for Estonia’s Freedom, located at Muuseumi tee 2 in the Lagedi area on the outskirts of the city, was a popular attraction outside of the city.
The production team spent a significant amount of time seeing the Estonian countryside. Initially, a base was established in the secretive and serene Black Box Studio, a production facility that can be found at Rohuneeme tee 1/7 in the small town of Haabneeme, which is approximately 9 kilometers northeast of the city center of Tallinn. In Kaberneeme, another little village in the Jelähtme Parish of the same county, they filmed sequences for the filming.
Parnu, Estonia
In Parnu, another coastal city and popular tourist destination in Estonia, the production crew shot sequences. They set up their base in a hotel in the city and kept filming in adjacent places while they were there. Tervise Medical Spa Hotel, a hotel and spa located at Seedri 6 in the city, may have been used for some of the filming.
County of Ida-Viru in Estonia
Additional filming took conducted in the Estonian county of Ida-Viru, which is located in the country’s northern region. The team paid a visit to the municipality of Sompa while they were in the area. On the grounds of Sompa Club, an imposing house that also serves as a cultural center, located at Humala 1 in the Sompa neighborhood, the crew shot scenes. They also went to the city of Kohtla-Järve, which is located in the same county.
In the city of Kohtla-Järve, a cultural center located at Keskallee 36 appears to have been used for some of the filming, according to reports. In addition to Kohtla-Nmme, which is located in the Toila Parish of the county, Ida-Viru County was used as a filming location. Kohtla-Nmme Rahvamaja, a park and cultural center in the neighborhood, provided the use of its facilities for a few sequences in the film.
Republic of Malta
Filming has also begun in the Republic of Malta, while the specifics of the project are yet unknown. It is a popular tourist destination for Europeans because it is an island country right in the center of the Mediterranean Sea. According to archaeological discoveries, human presence on the island dates back to the Stone Age, when a group of Sicilian farmers came upon a piece of land and settled there.
Malta’s tourism industry reached an all-time high in 2019, with over 2.1 million tourists visiting the country in a year, more than three times the country’s whole population. The country’s growing economy has also benefited from the success of film and television productions. The film ‘Sons of the Sea’ was the first feature film to be shot on the island, in 1925. Since then, more than 100 films have been filmed here, either wholly or in part.
Moscow, Russia
It may seem unexpected that multiple outside sequences were filmed in and around Moscow, the vibrant metropolis of Russia, for a film with such an overt LGBTQ vibe, but it is true. In an interview with The Guardian, Tom Prior recalled the filming in Moscow, noting that he was slightly taken aback by what he was seeing and hearing. “An outstanding local production business paid the proper people and somehow managed to make that happen,” he remarked of the incidence of production in the country.