Anett
Anett is a 76-minute documentary produced in Estonia and directed by Kaupo Kruusiauk. It offers an intimate, close-up look at professional tennis through the direct experience of one of its most recent protagonists, Anett Kontaveit.
The documentary focuses on tennis, recounting the final year of Anett Kontaveit's career; she was world number two in the WTA rankings in 2022. In 2023, the Estonian athlete unexpectedly announced her retirement from professional competition, ending a twenty-year path begun at a very young age.
The film follows the tennis player's everyday life during a crucial phase of her sporting and personal life, alternating intense training, top-level tournaments and intimate reflections on the burden of competition, loneliness and the routine of international circuits. Key figures in her entourage, such as coach Torben Beltz and trainer Ülle Milk, also appear.
Anett Kontaveit plays herself, offering an authentic personal account of the reasons that led her to leave competitive tennis. The documentary moves through different sporting and geographical settings—from training sessions in Estonia to tournaments in France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The film's main message concerns identity and change: Anett reflects on what it means to be at the top of a global sport and on the emotional difficulty of leaving what has defined one's existence. It speaks of awareness, resilience and the ability to face a new phase of life.
Produced by Katre Ratassepp and director Kaupo Kruusiauk himself, the documentary is neither a debut project nor a student production. It was completed on 24 September 2024.
Film Details
Title: Anett
Original title: Anett
Director: Kaupo Kruusiauk
Production: Katre Ratassepp, Kaupo Kruusiauk
Country: Estonia
Language: English, Estonian
Running time: 76 minutes
Genre: Documentary
Sport featured: Tennis
Protagonist(s): Anett Kontaveit, Torben Beltz, Ülle Milk
Completion date: 24 September 2024
Premiere: [Not specified]
Distributor: [Not specified]
Shooting format: 4K, 2.39, colour
Director's first film: No
Student project: No