Documentary Film
USA/Estonia 2006
92 min
Direction: Maureen Castle Tusty, James Tusty
Language: English with German subtitles

Film website and Trailer

Most people don’t think about singing when they think about revolutions. But song was the weapon of choice when, between 1987 and 1991, Estonians sought to free themselves from decades of Soviet occupation. During those years, hundreds of thousands gathered in public to sing forbidden patriotic songs and to rally for independence. The Singing Revolution is an inspiring account of one nation’s dramatic rebirth. It is the story of humankind’s irrepressible drive for freedom and self-determination. “The young people, without any political party, and without any politicians, just came together ... not only tens of thousands but hundreds of thousands ... to gather and to sing and to give this nation a new spirit,” remarks Mart Laar, a Singing Revolution leader featured in the film and the first post-Soviet Prime Minister of Estonia. “This was the idea of the Singing Revolution.”

The Singing Revolution, directed by US-Americans James Tusty and Maureen Castle Tusty tells the moving story of how the Estonian people peacefully regained their freedom and helped topple an empire along the way. If Hollywood made this story up, no one would believe it. And yet this story of hope, nonviolence, and perseverance has been playing to standing ovations in theaters across the world.