Smile at Last (1985)

16-year-old Mari, raised without a mother by a drunkard father, is put in an orphanage which she immediately, though unsuccessfully, tries to flee from. The sensitive Mari finds it hard to adapt to the coarse manners and brutal games amongst the children. Only gradually does she develop a sense for the similarly difficult fates of her fellow sufferers, who have long forgotten how to cry. She even falls in love for the first time, not with her self-appointed “protector” Tauri, but with the rough-mannered Robi.

Released Nov. 28, 1985 85 min None+

Genres: Drama, Family

Keywords: tmdb.based-on-novel-or-book, tmdb.jealousy, tmdb.suicide-attempt, tmdb.alcoholism, tmdb.woman-director, tmdb.teenage-diary, tmdb.mother-son-relationship + 275 more, tmdb.homesickness, tmdb.sorrow, imdb.eastern-europe, imdb.estonia-eastern-europe, imdb.title-different-than-book, imdb.two-word-title, imdb.literature-on-screen, imdb.estonian-literature-on-screen, imdb.european-literature-on-screen, imdb.20th-century-literature-on-screen, imdb.1970s-literature-on-screen, imdb.title-co-directed-by-female, imdb.coming-of-age, imdb.triple-f-rated, imdb.female-protagonist, imdb.bullying, imdb.bully, imdb.teenager, imdb.teenage-protagonist, imdb.train-station, imdb.father-daughter-relationship, imdb.bare-chested-male, imdb.male-wears-underwear, imdb.male-star-appears-shirtless, imdb.male-star-appears-in-underwear, imdb.sleeping-shirtless, imdb.sleeping-in-underwear, imdb.barefoot-male, imdb.visit, imdb.visitor, imdb.alcoholic-father, imdb.alcoholic, imdb.man-wears-an-open-shirt, imdb.alcoholism, imdb.drinking-from-a-bottle, imdb.running-away-from-an-orphanage, imdb.dysfunctional-family, imdb.woman-wears-a-bathrobe, imdb.widower, imdb.lighting-a-cigarette, imdb.cigarette-smoking, imdb.boyfriend-girlfriend-relationship, imdb.money-counting, imdb.counting-money, imdb.money, imdb.father-daughter-conflict, imdb.sitting-by-a-window, imdb.group-of-friends, imdb.policeman, imdb.switchblade, imdb.threatened-with-a-switchblade, imdb.threatened-with-a-knife, mdblist.has-trailer, imdb.chase, imdb.foot-chase, imdb.fight, imdb.violence, imdb.male-female-fight, imdb.man-hits-a-woman, imdb.boy-hits-a-girl, imdb.crying-woman, imdb.crying-girl, imdb.crying-female, imdb.black-eye, imdb.bruise, imdb.arrest, imdb.arrested-woman, imdb.arrested-girl, imdb.looking-at-onesef-in-a-mirror, imdb.screaming-woman, imdb.scream, imdb.reference-to-vladimir-lenin, imdb.portrait-of-vladimir-lenin, imdb.bus, imdb.bus-trip, imdb.social-worker, imdb.social-drama, imdb.poverty, imdb.diary, imdb.writing-in-a-diary, imdb.listening-to-music, imdb.mother-daughter-relationship, imdb.female-alcoholic, imdb.girl, imdb.boy, imdb.peeling-a-potato, imdb.potato-peeling, imdb.cutting-oneself, imdb.cutting-one-s-finger, imdb.finger-injury, imdb.licking-one-s-finger, imdb.finger-licking, imdb.reunion, imdb.feeding-someone, imdb.posing-for-a-photograph, imdb.vulgarity, imdb.vulgar-language, imdb.vulgar-girl, imdb.vulgar-woman, imdb.cousin-cousin-relationship, imdb.little-boy, imdb.chalet, imdb.hut, imdb.cabin, imdb.abandoned-house, imdb.abandoned-building, imdb.feet-on-table, imdb.rival, imdb.rivalry, imdb.little-girl, imdb.alcoholic-mother, imdb.reference-to-charlie-chaplin, imdb.film-within-a-film, imdb.watching-a-movie, imdb.watching-a-black-and-white-movie, imdb.watching-a-silent-movie, imdb.projection, imdb.watching-tv, imdb.watching-a-movie-on-tv, imdb.teacher, imdb.lying-on-the-floor, imdb.abuse-of-power, imdb.patronizing, imdb.sitting-on-the-floor, imdb.playing-piano, imdb.piano-playing, imdb.tattoo, imdb.piano-lesson, imdb.listening-to-jazz-music, imdb.jealousy, imdb.jealous-boy, imdb.jealous-cousin, imdb.gym-class, imdb.playing-volleyball, imdb.volleyball, imdb.volleyball-team, imdb.locker-room, imdb.undressing, imdb.woman-wears-a-bra, imdb.woman-wears-underwear, imdb.washing-one-s-face, imdb.washing-one-s-hands, imdb.boycott, imdb.rebellion, imdb.rebel, imdb.social-issues, imdb.headmaster, imdb.hunger-strike, imdb.strike, imdb.camera-shot-of-feet, imdb.dance-scene, imdb.listening-to-rock-music, imdb.telling-someone-to-shut-up, imdb.playing-guitar, imdb.watching-a-black-and-white-film, imdb.guitar-playing, imdb.community, imdb.female-bully, imdb.reading-someone-else-s-diary, imdb.reading-aloud, imdb.reading-aloud-from-a-diary, imdb.malice, imdb.malicious-girl, imdb.malicious-woman, imdb.humiliation, imdb.malicious-boy, imdb.malicious-man, imdb.lack-of-privacy, imdb.female-antagonist, imdb.female-villain, imdb.villainess, imdb.reference-to-alexander-pushkin, imdb.poem, imdb.reading-a-poem, imdb.reading-a-poem-aloud, imdb.covering-one-s-eyes, imdb.forced-to-smile, imdb.injection, imdb.suicide-attempt, imdb.attempted-suicide, imdb.suicidal, imdb.suicidal-thoughts, imdb.suicidal-girl, imdb.suicidal-woman, imdb.dripping-tap, imdb.taking-a-pill, imdb.depressed-woman, imdb.depressed-girl, imdb.depression, imdb.matronizing, imdb.emotional-abuse, imdb.emotionally-abusive-behavior, imdb.emotionally-abusive-woman, imdb.emotionally-abusive-girl, imdb.emotionally-abusive-friend, imdb.reference-to-world-war-two, imdb.disembodied-voice, imdb.inner-voice, imdb.file, imdb.orphan, imdb.dancing-barefoot, imdb.barefoot-female, imdb.passport, imdb.overhearing-a-conversation, imdb.drunken-woman, imdb.drunkenness, imdb.mother-son-relationship, imdb.whistling, imdb.painting, imdb.son-hits-mother, imdb.mother-son-conflict, imdb.slut-shaming, imdb.nudity, imdb.female-nudity, imdb.female-rear-nudity, imdb.social-nudity, imdb.rear-nudity, imdb.biting-someone, imdb.wrapped-in-a-towel, imdb.woman-wrapped-in-a-towel, imdb.boiler-room, imdb.hiding-in-a-washing-machine, imdb.locked-in-a-washing-machine, imdb.sadistic-girl, imdb.sadistic-woman, imdb.sadistic-cruelty, imdb.catfight, imdb.crying-for-help, imdb.crying-boy, imdb.bare-chested-boy, imdb.evil-girl, imdb.evil-woman, imdb.trapped-in-a-washing-machine, imdb.wall-painting, imdb.reference-to-god, imdb.biblical-reference, imdb.man-wears-sunglasses, imdb.arrogance, imdb.painting-on-the-wall, imdb.fight-between-friends, imdb.fight-between-cousins, imdb.arrogant-woman, imdb.arrogant-girl, imdb.investigation, imdb.lie, imdb.entering-through-a-window, imdb.knocking-on-a-window, imdb.kissing-someone-s-neck, imdb.police-car, imdb.arrested-man, imdb.false-accusation, imdb.accusation, imdb.sitting-on-stairs, imdb.knocking-on-a-door, imdb.man-wears-eyeglasses, imdb.hairy-chested-man, imdb.man-kisses-a-woman-s-neck, imdb.man-wears-a-leather-jacket, imdb.apology, imdb.teen-drama, imdb.coming-of-age-drama, imdb.psychological-drama, imdb.prison-drama, imdb.photography, imdb.female-full-frontal-nudity, imdb.girl-frontal-nudity, imdb.love, imdb.orphanage, imdb.soviet-union, imdb.male-female-relationship, imdb.f-rated, imdb.teenage-boy, imdb.teenage-girl, imdb.teenage-love, imdb.based-on-novel