This is a film about Estonian independence that occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s--as the Communist Bloc began to fall apart. It's actually odd that very few films about this period are ever seen in the US--especially considering this meant an end to the very long and tense Cold War.
The film begins with a history of Estonia in the 20th century. After gaining its independence following WWI, the country was at peace--that is until the evil pact between the USSR and Nazi Germany. This agreement allowed Stalin to invade and a period of very intense persecutions began. Deportations to Siberia and mass occurred to break the back of the country. Then, two years later, Germans invaded and occupied this tiny country. And, towards the end of the war, the Soviets returned and very harsh repression returned. For the next 45 years or so, the nation would have all symbols of nationalism removed and a strong move to turn the citizens into Soviet citizens began. Despite this, there was a very, very small and quiet sense that Estonia would one day rise again. With a slight easing of free speech rights during the rule of Gorbachev, these hidden desires began to slowly be expressed. Much of the film consists of showing the steps that occurred with these first murmurs for freedom to the actual declaration of independence.
So how did singing come into all this? Well, at times the link was rather tenuous in the film. It seems that the earliest forms of protest (even before Gorbachev) was in the nation's singing festivals--and there the people sang nationalistic songs which had been forbidden. And, on one occasion, one out of every three Estonians appeared at the festival to sing--something that is pretty hard to comprehend when you think about it.
All in all, a very inspiring documentary about freedom and bravery. Considering that a huge percentage of the nation had been murdered or deported during the Soviet era (about 1/3 of the nation), the fact that they stood up for freedom is all the more impressive.
The film is super-inspiring. It was narrated by Linda Hunt, but mostly is consists of Estonians talking on camera about the singing revolution--and this is most fitting. Additionally, archival footage and footage of Estonia today is used to tell this very touching story. The most important part, however, is at the very end--when a brief biographical statement is given for those who participated in the film--and their sacrifices.
The film begins with a history of Estonia in the 20th century. After gaining its independence following WWI, the country was at peace--that is until the evil pact between the USSR and Nazi Germany. This agreement allowed Stalin to invade and a period of very intense persecutions began. Deportations to Siberia and mass occurred to break the back of the country. Then, two years later, Germans invaded and occupied this tiny country. And, towards the end of the war, the Soviets returned and very harsh repression returned. For the next 45 years or so, the nation would have all symbols of nationalism removed and a strong move to turn the citizens into Soviet citizens began. Despite this, there was a very, very small and quiet sense that Estonia would one day rise again. With a slight easing of free speech rights during the rule of Gorbachev, these hidden desires began to slowly be expressed. Much of the film consists of showing the steps that occurred with these first murmurs for freedom to the actual declaration of independence.
So how did singing come into all this? Well, at times the link was rather tenuous in the film. It seems that the earliest forms of protest (even before Gorbachev) was in the nation's singing festivals--and there the people sang nationalistic songs which had been forbidden. And, on one occasion, one out of every three Estonians appeared at the festival to sing--something that is pretty hard to comprehend when you think about it.
All in all, a very inspiring documentary about freedom and bravery. Considering that a huge percentage of the nation had been murdered or deported during the Soviet era (about 1/3 of the nation), the fact that they stood up for freedom is all the more impressive.
The film is super-inspiring. It was narrated by Linda Hunt, but mostly is consists of Estonians talking on camera about the singing revolution--and this is most fitting. Additionally, archival footage and footage of Estonia today is used to tell this very touching story. The most important part, however, is at the very end--when a brief biographical statement is given for those who participated in the film--and their sacrifices.