Dear friends!

We are excited to announce that the work on our documentary film "LEGEND OF THE FORT" is nearing completion. A tremendous amount of work has been done over the past four years.

We invite YOU to take part in the creation of the documentary film "LEGEND OF THE FORT", which the author and the team have been working on for four years. Become a part of our team, our first viewers!


 

What is the Film About?

This film tells the story of the world’s largest naval fortress — the Naval Fortress of Emperor Peter the Great, which was built between 1912 and 1917 on the territory of modern Estonia and Finland. The film reveals one of the monumental chapters in the phenomenon of the “Forgotten” war – World War I. It is based on archival primary sources, contemporary literature on the subject, and field research conducted by the filmmaker. We will examine not only the historical events and facts, but also the art of fortification as well as the participants of those events who built and defended this grand fortress, leaving their mark in history.

"LEGEND OF THE FORT" is not a classical documentary with infographics, interviews, and reconstructions. It is, above all, a research project based on archival primary sources, unique cinema and photographic chronicles from the Tsarist era, maps from the Tsarist government, orders from the fortress commandant, diaries of the fortress’s construction, events in the fortress, triangulation with secondary research and works, and the filmmaker’s field research — all shot in a cinematic form with professional equipment in a feature-length film format.

A significant portion of the footage was shot during our team’s field expeditions, using professional BlackMagic equipment and drones in 4K format. Some equipment was custom-made, such as a powerful portable spotlight with batteries and full-spectrum radiation (1-kilowatt power) for shooting inside the fortress’s underground chambers. Currently, the film material takes up about 4 terabytes of data. This will be a true cinematic journey that will reveal the secrets and myths surrounding the fortress, showing its influence on the region's cultural heritage and the current state of the fortifications.


 

About the Director. The Director's Philosophy. Why Am I Doing This?

Director of the documentary "LEGEND OF THE FORT" Aleksandr Naven: "I love and am deeply interested in the history of my native land. My passion is fortification. I also enjoy cinema and photography, and I believe that documentary filmmaking is a way to popularize history. In the film “LEGEND OF THE FORT” the passion for the history of my homeland and fortification merge together. The story of the Naval Fortress of Emperor Peter the Great is one of those forgotten stories that must be told. I wanted to create a spectacular, full-length documentary film in cinematic quality for a wide audience, and when I started working on this project, others caught my crazy idea and began helping me."
 

Team

Alexander Naven – author of the idea, director, researcher, screenwriter, cinematographer

Marek Miglinski – cinematographer

Oleg Stjopkin – drone operator

Mikhail Pastushenko – cinematographer

Maxim Dragunov – cinematographer

Andrey Zavidey – music

Maria Tsymbal – music

and others.
 

What Has Already Been Done?

We have purchased two workstations, drones, and cinema equipment, paid for software licenses, expedition gear, and trips for filming in Estonia and Finland, received filming permissions from the owners as well as from the military on military sites, and acquired some archival licenses. We have also purchased artefacts related to the construction of the fortress at auctions. Field research, studying modern literature about the marine fortress, archival research, and studying the fortress construction documentation have also been carried out. Some of the filming was done on free or discounted conditions (thanks to you, guys!). So far, all work on the film has been carried out by all participants with enthusiasm and their own funds. Currently, after 4 years, the project has cost over 100,000 Euros. Literally, the author, friends, and family all chipped in to fund it.


 

What Do We Need?

To complete the project, we need 30,000 Euros and 8 months.

We need these resources to finish the voiceover in three languages (pay professional voice actors), record music, create the musical score, produce animations, do color correction, purchase additional cinema/photographic archives, and edit all the footage.

First part — 15,000 Euros (main needs)

This part covers the most urgent and important expenses that will help us progress in the project at this critical stage: 

• Purchase of missing cinema/photographic chronicles — minimal set according to the author's idea
• Infographics
• Creation of animations
• Editing all footage
• Color correction

Second part — 15,000 Euros (additional expenses and final stage)

This part covers additional expenses necessary to complete and further refine the project:

• Purchase of a full set of cinema/photographic chronicles according to the author’s artistic vision
• Music recording and musical score creation
• Payment for professional voiceover in three languages
• PR and promotion of the film
• Payment for the cinema hall for the film premiere
• Participation in film festivals

 

How Can You Help?

• Support us financially — any contribution, no matter how small, is important to us!
• Share information about our project on social media and with your friends.
• Follow us and stay updated on the process!

Let’s create a story together that will stay in the hearts of viewers! Support the documentary film "LEGEND OF THE FORT" and give us the opportunity to share this incredible story with the world. The names of people who help the film reach the screen will be published in the credits as full participants in the project.

Also we offer you various valuable rewards, incl. the statuses of an associate producer (terms are here), an executive producer (terms are here) and a general sponsor (terms are here). We will deliver the rewards to you at our cost.

Thank you in advance for your support!

 

What Will Happen if We Raise More?

If we raise more, we can be more ambitious in realizing the project: this will allos us to buy more archival footage, licensed music, improve the overall quality, pay for festival participation, and promote the film on social media.


 

Risks and challenges

We’ve made it through a long journey over the past 4 years. Practically, we’ve passed the most dangerous stages and proven what we’re capable of with only our own efforts. We’re now at the final stretch. We are confident that we will complete the film and show it on the big screen, no matter what. The trailer, with moments of shooting and music, shows the level of the entire project.

 

Respectfully,

Alexander Naven and the "LEGEND OF THE FORT" team.

 

Links to pages related to the project:

Lost Forts –  The main resource managed by the author for over 4 years, dedicated to the progress and filming of "LEGEND OF THE FORT" as well as historical events and facts related to the Naval Fortress of Emperor Peter the Great.

Raadio 4 – "LEGEND OF THE FORT": A new documentary film about our history (interview with the director of "LEGEND OF THE FORT" Alexander Naven)

Tuletorn Films – Official legal representative of the film "LEGEND OF THE FORT"

Lost Forts – Official Lost Forts page, created for the promotion of the film

Naval Fortress of Emperor Peter the Great – Wikipedia article (in Russian) on the Naval Fortress of Emperor Peter the Great, with a link to the upcoming film "LEGEND OF THE FORT"

Sky Director – YouTube channel of cinematographer Oleg Stjopkin

Маksim Dragunov – YouTube channel of cinematographer Maxim Dragunov