Alar Kivilo's parents and grandparents fled from Soviet occupation to Canada. Born in Montreal, Kivilo's first language was Estonian. His father took the preservation of Estonian culture and identity very seriously.

"Kids were to be raised in the Estonian spirit," he explained. "Everyone considered [the occupation] temporary – that we'd be going back soon. No one went to Canada with the plan to get rich. Everything was about survival."

Kivilo's father was involved in organizing Estonian folk dance groups and supplementary schools in Montreal; especially in the early years, he dedicated more of himself to the Estonian diaspora community than to his own profession.

That sense of identity was further bolstered by the many Estonian cultural figures that had likewise reached Montreal.

"We had a very active Estonian center," he recalled, but acknowledged that there were also those who turned their backs on their Estonian identities.

Kivilo's parents didn't make it back to their longed-for homeland for 50 years, which they had spent building a life in Canada.

"I've often thought about my dad – his conviction and strong desire to return once Estonia was free," he said. "I can't even imagine having such a clear understanding of this at 14 years old. They came back because they had made that promise to themselves."

According to the cinematographer, Canada is seen as something between the U.S. and Europe.

"[The U.S.] is a melting pot, where people come from all over the world to become Americans," he said. "In Canada, it's always been – and even promoted by the government – that everyone preserves their roots. There's a great deal of respect there for different cultures. There are Greek and Italian neighborhoods in Toronto where even the language is still in use."

From Canada to the U.S.

While Montreal is still very dear to him as the city where he was born and raised, Kivilo acknowledged that where he feels most at home is wherever he happens to be. He first moved to Toronto, but would later move onward to Los Angeles – straight to Hollywood.

"I always had this idea that I wouldn't start moving to Hollywood; that I'd do my work living in Canada and wouldn't need to go there," he said. But it became increasingly clear in his work that it was still necessary to be there in person, and that it would be beneficial to move closer to his job's headquarters.

He and his wife Ene decided to make the move while their own kids were still young.

"It was quite a bold decision, since we didn't have a residence permit, I didn't have a work permit – we just decided that now was the right time to go," the cinematographer recalled. "We sold our house in Toronto and moved straight to Los Angeles in hopes that everything would fall into place. And it did."

Since the family always spoke Estonian at home, Alar and Ene chose to enroll their two children, Saskia and Miika, in a school where other students likewise spoke languages other than English at home – and so they ended up attending a French school.

New York-based visual artist and photographer Saskia Kivilo has memories of Estonia starting from a very young age, and says that Estonia has never been some foreign, distant land to discover. Her earliest memory of her family's  homeland involve Christmas and snow.

The younger Kivilo always loved traveling to Estonia, where she could get around independently.

"I didn't have much freedom when I was young, because you couldn't do anything [in LA] alone – someone always had to be there with you," she explained. "And school was very hard – very academic. I managed, but I didn't like it. I did the best I could, but with the least amount of effort."

Working with Hollywood stars

Alar Kivilo is "our man in Hollywood," as he is often introduced in Estonia, having worked behind the camera opposite stars like Bruce Willis, Keanu Reeves, Cameron Diaz, Jessica Lange and plenty of other Hollywood A-listers.

Asked by host Sten Teppan whether he had any photos together with any superstar actors, the cinematographer nodded, but added that he kept those photos tucked away.

"They definitely aren't framed on the wall for everyone to see," quipped Saskia Kivilo, who often spent time as a kid at her dad's work – meaning on Hollywood sets.

For her, this was all perfectly normal, since her dad had spent his whole life in the film industry. Famous stars didn't faze her; she was more interested in watching how the movies were made. "Those stars just came along with that," she added.

Alar Kivilo made it to Hollywood thanks to "Boys and Girls," an Oscar-winning 1983 short film shot in Canada. Roger Corman, one of the U.S.' most famous film directors and producers, hired Kivilo to shoot a feature film in Ireland after his wife Julie had seen "Boys and Girls."

"That's the nature of my work – that the next step comes through the people you know or have worked with, or from having your work noticed," he noted. "It's a lengthy process."

Asked whether cinematographers have any direct contact with the actors, Kivilo said that depends on the person. Jessica Lange, he recalled, paid close attention to the shot list.

"She always asked if it was a closeup or wide shot, and adjusted her acting according to what lens I was using," he described. "Some actors are very aware and can sense where the light should come from, for example; others know nothing about it."

Alar Kivilo said that in the film world, especially in Hollywood, it's easy to end up completely consumed by your work, and noted that he is proud to have struck a balance between family and filmmaking through the years.

"If I hadn't thought about my family, maybe I would have reached somewhere higher – and vice versa," he said. "I'm very proud that I've been able to find that balance."

Saskia Kivilo confirmed that their family has always been very tight-knit, and that she has always felt like they spend more time together than many other families.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!