A nation's existence hangs in the balance.
Does the nation of Estonia actually exist? This question has many different meanings. For the geographically challenged young American, it takes on a game show tone of literality. That is, like Transylvania or the African nation of Zamunda, Estonia (maybe) exists. As the word "Estonia" hits young American ears, one may ascertain the following thoughts taking place behind blank and terrified eyes: "I know I've heard of it but I can't remember if it was from CNN or
The Flintstones
."
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During the mid-20th century, for the population of a certain small Baltic nation, the existential query posed a rather different sort of challenge. Would Estonia (yes, it's real), which has been occupied so many times it has a National Museum of Occupation, ever be a free and independent nation, one with its cultural heritage still intact?
This question is at the heart of the new documentary
The Singing Revolution
, which traces Estonia's history of invasion, occupation and resistance in standard, solid form. Though it's called
The Singing Revolution
-because of the role traditional song played in the Estonians' nonviolent resistance-it will appeal more to those with an interest in European history than fans of American Idol. And though a documentary on Estonian history is a rather tough sell,
The Singing Revolution
is actually quite a fine picture, and one that builds to a surprisingly wrenching and inspiring
dénouement
. Moreover, it is instructive of contemporary global issues such as those transpiring in Tibet (self-determination, the power of nonviolence) and Cuba (the opening of the information floodgate).
Through well-choreographed archival footage and interviews with student ***image1***activists, composers and intellectuals,
The Singing Revolution
tours those dark days when people were sent from Nazi concentration camps to Soviet gulags, stopping, perhaps, for a 10-year sojourn to live underground, literally, in the soil of the Estonian forest. But it becomes a scintillating and exhilarating experience as the Estonians begins to rebel, uniting through mass singing festivals. Though generally a nationalistic impulse is somewhat worrisome to the West, it is much less so when it comes from this cute little barely armed country struggling to hold on to its cultural identity. As one interviewee says, "We are so few in number that we must emphasize that we exist."
