The Singing Revolution

[Chris Grieb]

The Singing Revolution is a new documentary about Estonia's freeing itself from the Soviet Union. It is being released by the Moving Picture Institute who have also brought Mine Your Business.

Estonia was independent of the Soviet Union in 1920 after having been part of Czarist Russia. In 19e39 it taken over by the Soviet Union as a result of Hilter-Stalin Pact. It was conquered by Germany in 1941 but went back under Soviet control in 1945.

Thousand of Estonians were executed and sent to Gulag in 1939 and 1945. Resistance continued with some people fighting in the forests of the country fro many years. Estonians apparently love to sing and as a way of resiting they sang in huge numbers tradition folk songs. Estonia has a singing festival that has chorus of 30,000 and audiences of 200,000. The country only has a million people.

The Singing Revolution is an inspiring movie. Much of the audience was in tears including me. There will a web site The Singing Revolution.com where you can ask for showing in her city. See it!.