Vocal politics

The Singing Revolution shows how raising their voices helped to win Estonians’ freedom

by MATTHEW HAYS

Under Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union became so transformed by his talk of glasnost, it’s been easy to overlook the various stories that unfolded. Several nations simply declared their independence and left the empire, bruising Soviet pride but granting various groups the sovereignty they deserved.

In The Singing Revolution, filmmakers James Tusty and Maureen Castle Tusty give voice to one of these inspiring stories, focusing on the people of Estonia. The film gives us a thorough, if at times rather dry, recounting of Estonian history. Due to its geographical placement—the nation serves as a bridge between Russia and the rest of Europe—Estonia played a crucial role in the USSR’s relationship with its (sometimes conquering) neighbours. Thus the Estonians got stomped on thoroughly by the Nazis, and then, when handed over to the Soviets, got trampled pretty dreadfully by them too.

That is, until the nationals broke into song. Brutally suppressed by the Soviet military, this doc recounts quite movingly how the Estonians would gather for festivals and unite in song. Young and old would sing words that were revolutionary, and these words proved utterly powerful in overcoming Soviet occupation.

In 1997, Bruce Beresford made a film called Paradise Road, and I always felt it didn’t get the attention it deserved. It was a small but powerful film about a group of women imprisoned by the Japanese during WWII who found solace in song. Despite abject misery and horrific conditions, they formed a choir and sang to keep their humanity intact. It was a lovely film, and The Singing Revolution recalles it, seeing as both films ascribe to song the kind of power that most filmmakers would usually only assign to a bullet.

In one especially poignant scene, participants recall a song festival in 1969, during which 30,000 participants defied Soviet authorities (who insisted only Soviet propaganda be sung) and broke into “Land of My Fathers, Land That I Love,” the lyrics of which come from a century-old Estonian poem. This was seen as a pivotal moment in the Estonian revolution, reinvigorating the fight for independence. It’s a telling moment in a revelatory documentary.

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