Estonian (past decade), a list by Lucane

8.8

/9/

When American Peter Duke joined a convoy from Estonia to Kyiv to deliver critical aid to Ukrainian troops, he unexpectedly discovered a country echoing the spirit and unity of America's birth in 1776. Duke witnessed the people involved in this struggle up close revealing remarkable acts of selflessness and purpose that transcended borders and politics. It changed his perception of the conflict and himself. He returned home, impassioned and determined to do more. He shared his story with his friend Keith Ori, and it ignited a mission purpose for them both!

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8.5

/7/

On August 20th of 2017 the legendary Estonian rock band Ruja was reunited. They performed for just one show at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds. The event was the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Estonian independence. The original members of the band were joined by Estonia’s most talented instrumentalists and singers. The pairing produced a powerful and engaging concert that created an unforgettable experience for everyone attending it.

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8.5

/13/

Experience the captivating journey of Yasmyn, a visionary artist whose roots span Dominican and Estonian heritage, a fusion that reflects her unique perspective in a world still discovering diversity. Yasmyn’s daring, experimental music carved a niche and won a devoted following.

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8.5

/8/

10

/2/

100

/2/

A young girl is kidnapped by the evil Pillow. Her sister along with her distant relative travel to Dreamworld in hopes of rescuing the girl.

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8.3

/7/

In the last days of August 1941, one of the greatest maritime disasters in history took place off the northern coast of Estonia. Fleeing the invading Germans, the Soviet authorities hastily and panickedly carried out the evacuation of Tallinn. The remnants of the Red Army units, fleeing Red Army personnel, as well as mobilized Estonians and civilians were placed on more than two hundred ships, either voluntarily or forcibly. In total, over 30,000 people. The line of ships headed for Kronstadt and Leningrad, but they ran into a trap set by the German and Finnish navies near the Juminda Peninsula. 60 ships sank in mine explosions, torpedoes and aircraft bombs, and an estimated 15,000 people died, including thousands of Estonians. The film reveals how the terrible catastrophe of Juminda has been depicted, silenced, minimized or heroized in later historical accounts.

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8.2

/95/

77

/3/

On a sunny day in November 1938 a magnificent white schooner set sail from Greenwich Village under the command of the young Estonian captain Ahto Valter. Travelling among several wealthy passengers from the US, Canada and England are also his Scottish-American wife and their 1.5-year-old son Teddy. With a crew of adventurers chosen from 5,000 applicants in the United States, the 70-ton auxiliary ketch Ahto starts a memorable and adventurous voyage around a world, flying the Estonian flag.

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8.1

/14/

In a universe where sound frequencies are administered as reward or punishment, the latter might turn out to be the first.

75

?

8.1

/516/

77

/7/

67

/3/

A rare glimpse on the life and career of an otherwise reclusive World Rally Championship driver from Estonia. Often characterized as shy, retiring but headstrong, stubborn and with "a big ego", Ott Tänak puts all of his heart and soul into his dream of being a world champion. Hailing from the small island of Saaremaa, Tänak rallied his way into the WRC elite despite all of the adversity he faced. The documentary also features numerous interviews from relatives, friends and fellow drivers and crew members, along with vignettes from his personal life and rallying career.

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7.9

/19/

60

/2/

"Roots" tells six very personal stories - a first, big love, the loss of a child, ageing, infidelity, fragile relationships with close ones. Six different views on what our family and environment has left in us and what we leave behind.

77

52

7.9

/5450/

75

/107/

77

/86/

3.9

/3219/

80

/1/

Estonia, 1872. The uncompromising new owner of Robber's Rise must battle with hard work, his spiteful neighbor and with his own family and beliefs to transform the poor land into a flourishing farm of his dreams.

76

24

7.8

/515/

77

/12/

73

/3/

3.9

/1983/

Following a serious domestic violence incident, 13 year old Paul arrives in an unfamiliar town where in his pursuit of happiness he makes one bad decision after another. His seemingly inevitable downfall is thwarted, however, by a strange disabled man.

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7.7

/48/

This film is about the beauty of growing old. It is a story about an old and wise man who is preparing to leave this world and, thus, faces many personal and delicate questions. How not to loose faith in these final hours? Why are the greatest among us put through the hardest trials in the spiritual realm? Vello Salo is a Catholic cleric in his 90s, but first and foremost, a human being: a free spirit, a man with his own quirks and tricks, not to mention a lifetime of experience and wisdom which has been well-preserved to this modern day.

65

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7.7

/226/

65

/2/

50

/3/

3.5

/239/

A young woman takes on an audacious human experiment while testing the human limit of consuming culture and asking whether art has the power to change a life.

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7.6

/21/

80

/1/

80

/1/

For 25 years, world-famous Estonian clowns Haide and Toomas, better known as Piip and Tuut, have brought joy and laughter to children and families across the globe. But behind the face paint and curtain lies a different story. While entertaining thousands, their own children – Emma, Siim, and Anni – have been growing up at home without them. Eldest daughter Emma dreams of following in her parents' footsteps, but balancing her passion for theatre with caring for her autistic brother and younger sister has forced her to grow up fast. Meanwhile, Haide and Toomas grapple with guilt, exhaustion, and the toll of trying to give their all both on stage and at home.

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7.6

/11/

Former mafia boss Mart wants to live a quiet life with his family in a country home. He is not allowed that luxury. He decides to ask for help from Ahto, who has founded a detective agency. Once again, cooperation with the police is started in order to jointly expose the criminal group.

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7.6

/11/

Brothers Tarmo and Toomas Urb are musicians whose phenomenon in 1980s Estonia is hard to overestimate. Performing romantic ballads accompanied by guitar, they were able to bring a full house to any concert hall. Some songs like "Imeline laas" or "Musta pori näkku" have become folklore. The brothers were compared to the duo Simon & Garfunkel.

70

?

7.6

/174/

62

/4/

3.7

/522/

Jaan Tootsen’s documentary follows President Toomas Hendrik Ilves in the last year and a half of his term in office – as he grapples with the complexities of world politics and his private life. Tootsen’s keen camera eye follows Ilves at his most difficult moments, showing no mercy, but creating a gripping, rather harsh and at the same time very human portrait of the President.

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7.6

/9/

60

/1/

In a remote corner of Estonia, in Võru, lives Kalju, who is building a 19-metre-high observation tower with his own hands. He has been doing this for years, all year round. Why does he do this hard work alone? Who is he building it for? Step by step, we discover the story of Kalju, who lives in this fast-paced, chaotic world at his own pace and by his own rules. He believes in his own convictions and keeps on working.

71

?

7.4

/191/

68

/8/

A documentary exploring the difficulties the newly-independent Estonia faced in the early 1990s after emerging from decades of Soviet rule. The film focuses especially on then-32-year-old and inexperienced Mart Laar, who became country's prime minister while there still were tens of thousands of Soviet soldiers in the country.

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7.4

/68/

55

/2/

Metacritic

64

/6/

Portrait of the Catalan chef Albert Adrià, brother of the world-renowned chef Ferran Adrià, an emerging figure in the world of Spanish haute cuisine, with his own voice, far from the shadow of his brother.

75

18

7.4

/904/

77

/19/

75

/20/

3.5

/487/

80

/1/

One sleepy Saturday morning a 30-year-old construction worker Erik gets some earth shattering news: his ex-girlfriend Moonika who he hasn't even seen for the past six months is about to go into labor. She however is not ready for motherhood and if Erik doesn't want the kid either, the little girl will be put up for adoption.

79

21

7.4

/1424/

84

/19/

69

/14/

3.5

/844/

100

/2/

In the midst of Stalinist tyranny, six-year-old Leelo's mother is sent to a prison camp. Haunted by her mother's last words telling her to be a good kid, Leelo vows to be on her best behaviour in the confusing grown-up world in the hope that it will bring her mother back.

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7.3

/67/

70

/1/

The forest industry, the State Forest Management Centre (RMK) and natural scientists who have participated in the forest debate are brought in front of the camera for the first time, in order to gain clarity about what has happened to Estonian forests and what legacy we will leave for future generations. The nature film, shot in more than 60 different places in Estonia, opens the viewer to the current state of Estonian forests and shows how political decisions have affected the use of our common property.

72

17

7.3

/656/

71

/17/

74

/10/

3.5

/697/

A 10-year old girl's Christmas plans take an unexpected turn after she is brought to a mysterious Estonian farm.

69

21

7.2

/913/

65

/24/

71

/8/

3.5

/1055/

The Soviet Union teeters on the verge of collapse in 1990 and tiny Baltic nations struggle to take back their independence. A rising tide of public opinion opposes the Estonian national team's participation in the USSR's basketball championship. The team makes the unpopular choice to participate.

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7.1

/26/

One of the golden decades of 100-year-old Estonian autosport was the 80s. Estonians were such great rally drivers that several of our crews raced in the ranks of the USSR team every season. The status of a member of the Soviet Union team was the peak, and it was every driver’s dream to get there because it was a door leading behind the Iron Curtain.

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7.1

/28/

A documentary film that takes the viewer to the great stages of the sport of cycling. Estonians Tanel Kangert and Rein Taaramäe are the same age and both from the small village of Vändra. They are under the microscope as they both cycle in the top-level Astana Pro Team.

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7.1

/28/

A richly animated documentary about the extremely popular caricaturist Gori, whose fate in Estonia at the beginning of the last century shows the balance between power and freedom like a mirror. In the Fellini-like world of Gori (1894-1944), farce and drama, mockery and big politics mix. There is no subject that Gori's pen will not mock until the winds turn and mouths are closed.

76

7.1

/7155/

70

/282/

70

/167/

3.8

/23815/

93

/28/

81

/17/

Metacritic

79

/10/

RogerEbert

3.0

In a poor Estonian village, a group of peasants use magic and folk remedies to survive the winter, and a young woman tries to get a young man to love her.

68

7.1

/5505/

68

/162/

70

/79/

3.5

/2253/

85

/55/

75

/25/

Metacritic

60

/13/

RogerEbert

2.0

Fleeing from the Russian secret police, a young Estonian fencer is forced to return to his homeland, where he becomes a physical education teacher at a local school. The past however catches up and puts him in front of a difficult choice.

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7.0

/23/

30

/1/

When conventional medicine is struggling to keep up with ever increasing stress levels in populations biohackers show us their holistic approach to life which not only increases their resilience against the stress, but also helps them to perform on higher level.

62

?

7.0

/319/

60

/6/

53

/3/

3.4

/304/

Andres is a sensitive teenager raised by his strict grandparents in a small bland Soviet Estonian town. He is being bullied at school and his only friends are the drunkards, whores, and thieves living next door.

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7.0

/29/

60

/1/

Sandra Jõgeva's debut film is about a 27 year old art student who comes from a good family and has decided to give up on life.

69

57

7.0

/6848/

68

/258/

68

/111/

3.4

/2192/

73

/14/

The events of the war in 1944, from the Blue Hills to Sõrve Peninsula. Shown through the eyes of Estonian soldiers who had to pick sides and fight against fellow brothers. Choices have to be made, not only by the soldiers, but also by their loved ones.

65

15

6.9

/628/

60

/20/

65

/13/

3.3

/502/

In the middle of the night, a drunk town guard happens to meet the daughter of a rich merchant… who drowned herself into a well 10 years ago. Soon after the town guard falls dead from the tower. This is followed by two other suspicious deaths. Doubting the existence of the ghost, Melchior has a hunch that these ‘accidents’ are part of a heinous crime. Tracking down the killer, his path will cross with heretics, old feuds and dark family secrets.

66

25

6.9

/1158/

64

/31/

68

/18/

3.2

/866/

In medieval Tallinn, a famous knight who is freed from the pirates of the Baltic Sea is murdered. The hero's head is cut off and his mouth is stuffed with coins. The gold chain he bought the same day is missing. The bailiff orders Melchior, an apothecary, to investigate the crime. The clever young man discovers that the slain was looking for a mysterious "Tallinn prisoner" and the traces lead to the Dominican monastery. A fabulous sequence of bloodwork is unleashed - anyone who comes into contact with this secret is in danger of dying.

62

?

6.9

/1368/

61

/41/

61

/17/

3.3

/500/

A historical spy-thriller set in 1939 about an Estonian intelligence agent tasked with uncovering the Soviet double agent in their ranks.

71

17

6.8

/306/

69

/10/

75

/2/

3.7

/1394/

Sebastian, working as a store clerk, finds his ordinary workday shaken up when he meets Silo, a free-spirited wanderer. Together they smoke weed and dream of a one-way ticket to Brazil.

76

?

6.8

/301/

90

/2/

3.5

/680/

When 15-year-old rebellious Stefi goes missing, her mother Helena has nothing left to lose. Why cling to sanity when madness offers a chance for reconciliation and love?

66

?

6.8

/434/

70

/13/

63

/8/

3.2

/391/

Melchior’s bride Keterlyn happens to witness an attack on a young man. The victim, who has lost his memory, does not know who he is and how he ended up in a Tallinn. A ring found at the scene leads Melchior to the trail of the nocturnal brotherhood, questions are also raised by the troupe of freaks who performed on fair day. Ominous signs suggest that not only is the stranger recovering from a murder attempt at risk, but Melchior and Keterlyn as well. At the same time, an inquisitor known as a ruthless witch hunter arrives in town. Melchior's ability to "speak to the dead" and to notice invisible traces of murder have raised the suspicion that he may be a dangerous heretic. And the place of the enemy of the church is at the stake…

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6.8

/8/

40

/1/

Located in the heart of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, the Hippodrome used to be the centre of entertainment for all its neighbouring countries. For nearly 100 years, it has lured visitors with bets and races. All that remains today of this majestic racecourse is a lonely horse stable. Now it is more of a social club than a prestigious racetrack. Animal lovers and sports fans still meet here despite the poor conditions. Bizarre parties and engagement photo sessions are held at the Hippodrome, and this is where the best Swedish racehorses are still trained. This hypnotic black and white film is an ode to a disappearing era and a unique subculture in a place soon to be demolished to make way for the triumphal march of business-oriented real estate development.

68

?

6.8

/434/

65

/5/

73

/3/

The movie tells a story of a journey of two start-up entrepreneurs from their "garage" to Silicon Valley.

69

?

6.8

/147/

75

/8/

66

/5/

3.4

/262/

Lotte gets a little sister named Roosi. Two scientists Karl and Viktor come to Gadgetville, they are taking part in a big folk song collecting competition. Whoever succeeds in recording the folk song of the world’s oldest animal species, wins the competition’s grand prize. Lotte and Roosi decide to help the scientists. Exciting and unexpected adventures await the sisters.

73

34

6.7

/514/

68

/16/

78

/5/

3.4

/1843/

84

/19/

Adventures await when new lovers are separated by a chainsaw killer.

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6.7

/26/

Takes a look at the life of the talented musician and composer, saxophonist Maria Faust. The film closely follows the birth of three works and how Maria's personal experiences are reflected in her work.

65

?

6.7

/282/

68

/6/

60

/3/

A music critic Hugo, suffering from post-divorce depression, is just about to rebuild his life when his jazz musician father Raivo arrives at his door unexpectedly. Spiteful old man announces that he will soon come to his end and expects his only son to take care of him. When an attractive psychotherapist enters the men’s lives, the father and son duo begin to compete for her attention. The old prankster manages to create a number of embarrassing moments in an effort to ruin Hugo’s romantic plans. Andres Maimik’s and Katrin Maimik’s tragicomedy is an exploration of forced closeness, a pursuit of happiness and a road to forgiving through laughter, suspense and tears.

58

?

6.7

/177/

60

/2/