Many of Latvia’s most successful modern films explore expressly Latvian themes, placing the unique cultural, historical, and social experiences of the Latvian people on screen. These films often explore topics such as Latvia’s difficult past of war and occupation, telling the stories of Latvia’s national heroes, or exploring the complexities of Latvia’s national identity. Below […]

Auļi is a modern Latvian folk group consisting of six bagpipers, three drummers, and one electric cellist. Founded in 2003, they have come to call their particular style “ethno trance” – mixing powerful and ancient instrumental patterns with influences from house, rock, and world music. They say that they find the most inspiration from nature […]

Tangerines (Mandariinid) is a 2013 Estonian–Georgian drama film. It’s in Russian and Estonian, despite the fact that it takes place in and was filmed in Georgia. The film is about a village in Abkhazia (considered a part of Georgia or an independent republic, depending on who you ask), whose residents are mostly ethnic Estonians. The year […]

Tyll the Giant (Suur Tõll) is an Estonian short animated film from the Soviet era, released in 1980. It was made by Rein Raamat, one of the earliest and most well-known Estonian directors of animated films. The film has nationalistic elements, and was frowned on by the Soviet authorities. It has more music than words, […]

Hobgoblin (Baubas) is an animated Lithuanian film from 1987. Created by Ilja Bereznickas, it was followed up by several sequels in the early 2000s. The screenplay was written by Bereznickas together with Pranas Morkus, who has worked on several animated films with Bereznickas and is also known for his live-action film work, including the documentary The Age of Czesław […]

The Cat’s Windmill (Kaķīša dzirnavas) is a Latvian short animated film. It is based on the short story/fairy tale of the same name, written by Kārlis Skalbe, a Latvian writer who lived and wrote in Latvia in the years of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union. Skalbe was also a Latvian nationalist and revolutionary, and left Latvia […]

Divers in the Rain (Tuukrid Vihmas) is an Estonian short animated film from 2009. It’s black and white and about a half-hour long, though with very limited dialogue. It was created by Priit Pärn, one of Estonia’s most lauded contemporary animation directors, in collaboration with his wife, Olga Pärn. Pärn’s cartoons are generally not aimed at children, […]

TOMM¥ €A$H (usually known in print as Tommy Cash; real name Tomas Tammemets) is a rapper from Estonia—or rather, as his official Facebook describes him, a “real professional rap superstar” singing “post-Soviet rap.” Though he has an Estonian and Russian background and speaks both languages, he raps mostly in English, but this hasn’t stopped him […]