Lotte ja kuukivi saladus (Lotte and the Moonstone Secret)

Estonia / Latvia 2011, 76 min, Estonian, age recommendation: 5 years and up

Whenever Lotte looks at the moon, she wonders who might live there. One night two small hooded figures try to snatch a magic stone which Lotte’s uncle once brought back from a trip to the mountains. Lotte prevents the theft and in doing so discovers that the stone possesses mysterious powers. The people who travelled with her uncle on his earlier trip also own stones like these. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, Lotte persuades her uncle to accompany her on an adventure-filled expedition. A lovelorn musician turns out to be the least of the problems that Lotte and her uncle must overcome, for the hooded figures are also hot on their heels. The stones belong to them, and they must retrieve them before the moon fades once more.

This children’s animation offers a rich array of endearing characters and hilarious ideas. It celebrates imagination and the many little adventures life has to offer to those who are curious. This is the third in a series of films, the first of which, LEIUTAJATEKÜLA LOTTE, was screened at the 2007 Berlinale.