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, […]

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 […]

Secrets (Saladused) is an Estonian TV drama. It began airing in 2008. The show tells the stories of ordinary Estonian people, mainly focusing on their relationship dramas as well as other adventures. All the stories featured are true, though with actors playing the roles. The show seeks out the most interesting and often scandalous (or […]

Dagö is an Estonian folk/ethno band. They formed in 1998 and have been active on and off to the present day, though their main popularity and success came in the early 2000s. The band’s name is taken from the historic (German/Swedish) name for Hiiumaa, an island off the northwest coast of Estonia. The founding members were Lauri Saatpalu […]

Windward Land (Tuulepealne maa) is an Estonian television miniseries that tells the story of some of the most dramatic years in Estonia’s history. Its 12 episodes, each about an hour long, aired in 2008. A 13th episode aired in 2013. The series takes place from World War One through World War Two, encompassing Estonia’s war […]

November (the word is the same in Estonian and English) is an Estonian art film that was released in February 2017. Mystical, strange, and beautiful, it may represent a new direction in Estonian filmmaking, an industry that has often been dominated by films about Estonia’s many occupations. November is based on the novel Rehepapp by contemporary Estonian […]