TARTUFF: LOVE, A MATTRESS AND TWO OF A KIND

A Date That Didn't Go According to Plan

Every love story has a beginning. For Margo Soom and Vanessa Vähi, it was a summer film festival in Tartu: Tartuff.

Margo invited Vanessa to the festival, and she expected a romantic date for two. Margo, however, had a slightly different plan — or, more precisely, he brought a friend along.

Not quite the scenario she had imagined. But sometimes the best stories begin when things don't go entirely to plan.

Margo had already been attending Tartuff for several years. The festival was a familiar part of his summer, and he simply invited Vanessa to join him. Neither of them could have known that the invitation would turn into a tradition lasting more than a decade.

First Came the Conversations, Then Love

They quickly discovered they had plenty to talk about. Vanessa remembers being slightly worried that an awkward silence might fall and she would have nothing to say. But Margo turned out to be an excellent conversationalist. In fact, he did most of the talking, while she happily listened.

Margo has a much simpler explanation: he needed attention, so he talked a lot. As it turned out, the approach worked.

There was no need for occasional dates separated by long gaps. They returned to the festival the very next day. And then again. Margo explained that he usually attended Tartuff every day for a week, and Vanessa decided to join him.

Without either of them quite planning it, the festival became one long first date.

After the films, they weren't in a hurry to say goodbye. They walked through Tartu at night, talked for hours and accompanied each other home. The screenings ended, but the evenings continued. Somewhere in those long conversations between films, something much more important than a simple introduction began to take shape.

An Anniversary That Lasts a Week

Today, Tartuff means much more to Margo and Vanessa than an open-air film festival. It is the place where they met and an annual reminder of how their life together began.

Their anniversary has one particular advantage: there is no need to plan it. The organisers prepare the programme, one film follows another, and all the couple has to do is show up and spend time together.

And one day simply isn't enough. According to Margo, their anniversary lasts an entire week.

Romance, however, goes hand in hand with everyday life. Margo also appreciates the festival as an opportunity to escape the relentless pace of modern life. At home, after a long day, they might collapse into bed and switch off the television out of sheer exhaustion. At Tartuff, things are different: the films have already been selected, the screen is on, and all they have to do is watch.

Vanessa adds that the programme is fascinating because it brings together films from different countries and explores a wide range of subjects. After the screenings, they discuss what they have seen, disagree and exchange impressions. Cinema becomes another way to spend time together and continue discovering each other.

Two of a Kind — and One Mattress for Two

If you've ever been to Tartuff, you may already have spotted Margo and Vanessa. They are among those audience members who don't simply turn up for an occasional screening but try to experience the festival in its entirety. Their unmistakable companion is a mattress, allowing them to settle comfortably in front of the screen and enjoy the films.

It is almost a perfect metaphor for their relationship: find your place, get comfortable and don't rush off before the story ends.

But what if their love story became a film at Tartuff? What would its title be?

Vanessa suggests Two of a Kind. She immediately explains why: they're both a little crazy, and that's precisely why they suit each other.

Margo initially has his doubts. There are, after all, so many possible titles. But eventually, he accepts Vanessa's choice. His argument is brief and convincing: the woman is right.

And if Tartuff ever decides to make a film about them, they seem unlikely to object. Margo and Vanessa describe themselves as adventurous people and believe their story would have room for everything: travel, funny moments, arguments and reconciliations.

After all, a love story doesn't have to be perfect to make good cinema.

A Story That Returns Every Year

Perhaps their paths would have crossed even without Tartuff. They had mutual friends. But Vanessa believes the festival gave them something they might not otherwise have found: the opportunity to spend hours together before they even thought of themselves as a couple.

They arrive early, talk before the screenings, watch the films, discuss them afterwards and sometimes stay awake until the early hours of the morning. Their time together is made up of countless small moments that could never have been planned in advance.

Now, every year, Tartuff brings them back to the beginning of their own story. And while new plots unfold on the screen, Margo and Vanessa continue writing theirs.

With a mattress, long conversations, debates about cinema and an anniversary that lasts an entire week.

The title of their film has already been chosen: Two of a Kind.

It seems to be a story they're happy to watch over and over again.