Soviet Friendsbook (2020)

The unifier of the common past of the perestroika generation is the
school. Classmates who once lived in very similar conditions, played the same games and shared the most personal thoughts have been able to create very different and varied lives today. It is several decades since graduating from school when Aljona Suržikova decides to look for her classmates in different parts of the world. Her goal is to compare the friendsbook created in their youth with today's reality. The friendsbook is serving a written historical memory function, preserving the beautiful moments and big dreams that were written down during school time. Director Aljona finds, for example, her classmate Stass in Cambodia playing poker and riding a scooter. Her second classmate Roman was the strongest boy at school and today he serves as a bodyguard for the President of Estonia. Third comrade Julia lives in Berlin and is a teacher at the Waldorf School. Memories of various characters portray the colourful events of 1994, such as the general mood in Estonia, the departure of Soviet tanks, the champagne drinking by two presidents Lennart Meri and Boris Yeltsin, and the tragic end of the ferry Estonia. The documentary reminds us of the music of the 90's, VHS footage and the identity spirit of the new country.