Documentary film crew filming this year’s song festival “Laulupidu” in Estonia. The “Singing Revolution” and its role in the dissolution of the Soviet Union is a relatively unknown story in the West. From 1987 – 1991, Estonians defiantly sang national songs forbidden by the Soviet authorities, signed petitions disavowing the legality of the Soviet occupation, and created a line of 2 million Baltic people holding hands from Estonia to Lithuania in protest of the Soviet occupation. During the Coup of 1991, tens of thousands of Estonians stood as human body shields between the advancing Soviet tanks and the radio and TV stations. Estonia was the first country to declare sovereignty from the U.S.S.R., catalyzing its swift disintegration. Iceland was the first country to recognize Estonia’s independence, and, interestingly, Russia was the second. The U.S. was #32.
UPDATE: The film will be submitted to Sundance…. If you are feeling Estonian, please consider making a donation to the project. Even a small amount of money can go a long way (catalyzing further donations from others).
Update 2: I have a matching grant going until the end of the year.
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