Valdo Pant
Valdo Pant (21 January 1928 – 30 July 1976) was a radio and television journalist, scriptwriter and playwright.
Pant was born in Otepää parish in Tartu County, attended school at Sadala and Mustvee and studied at Tartu Teachers’ Seminary. He has worked as a teacher. From 1948 he worked on Estonian Radio and from 1965 on Estonian Television. He was a member of the Estonian Association of Journalists from 1958 and a received the title of Merited Journalist of the Estonian SSR in 1974. He died in Tallinn and was buried in Metsakalmistu (‘Forest Cemetery’).
Valdo Pant acquired legendary fame primarily as a radio and television journalist. His broadcast series about the Second World War, Täna 25 aastat tagasi (‘Today 25 Years Ago’, aired from 1966–1970) gained immense popularity and received an award of the USSR Association of Journalists in 1967. The series dealing with themes hushed up until then reintroduced relatively free exchange of thoughts on television.
Good command of the topic and interesting protagonists are also characteristic of Pant’s plays, of which Avarii (‘Accident’, staged at the Estonian Drama Theatre in 1963) concentrates on issues of work ethics in oil shale industry. The criminal play Lasud tuisus (‘Shots in the Blizzard’) was staged at the Ugala theatre in 1977. Pant’s plays have been published in Näidendid (‘Plays’, 1978).
He has written scripts for feature films — Õhtust hommikuni (‘From Evening till Morning’, 1962, director Leida Laius), documentaries — Ilu meie ümber (‘Beauty around Us’, 1960), Kivid ja leib (‘Stones and Bread’, 1965), and puppet films — Ott kosmoses (‘Ott in Outer Space’, 1961), Hiirejaht (‘Hunt on Mice’, 1965), Kurepoeg (‘Little Stork’, 1967), all directed by Elbert Tuganov.
Estonian Television has issued the Valdo Pant Journalism Prize since 1980.
A. K. (Translated by I. A.)
Books in Estonian
Plays
Näidendid. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1978, 152 lk
Books for children
Ott kosmoses. Tallinn: Perioodika, 1979, 20 lk. [Ümber jutustanud Ellen Niit.]
About him
Kas mäletad?: fragmentaarium piltide, proloogi ning epiloogiga. Raadio- ja teleajakirjanik Valdo Pant: 1928-1976. Koost. V. Lindström. Tallinn: Eesti Televisioon, 2001, 91 lk
E. Hion, Valdo Pant – aastaid hiljem. Tallinn: Maagiline Ruum, 2013, 287 lk. [2. trükk: 2017]
