Youth film directed by Veljo Käsper tells about the wartime children, their courage and resistance to German occupation.
The war drama directed by Jüri Müür is based on the novel "The Two Selves of Enn Kalm" by Paul Kuusberg. It is the first, and so far the only Estonian feature film depicting the Estonian Rifle Corps in the World War II, including the forming process of the corps in the Urals, its battles held at Velikiye Luki, on Emajõgi River and the night battle of Tehumardi on Saaremaa island. Considering the year of the film, it is not free from propaganda; however, for the first time bold and epic battle scenes together with the war chronicles are presented in this film. The soundtrack "Song About the Faraway Home" (music by Eino Tamberg, lyrics by Ralf Parve) is still a popular soldier song today.
Amateur feature film produced in 1963, co-financed by the expatriate Estonians living in Canada and based on Eerik Heine’s original script. The film portrays conditions in Estonia during 1946-1947, fight of the ‘forest brothers’ with the occupying forces and worry towards the outburst of the next war, mixed with the hope to restore the independence of the Republic of Estonia.
The debut film by director Kaljo Kiisk is based on the short story "Ice Run" written by Aadu Hint in 1943 in Yaroslavl, Russia. The feature film depicts the tragic destinies of two fisherman families on a small Estonian island occupied by Germans during the World War II.
The first feature film produced in the Soviet Republic of Estonia, directed by Herbert Rappaport from Lenfilm production company. It is based on the play "Life in a Citadel" by August Jakobson and was awarded with the Stalin Prize. The film features many leading Estonian film actors of that time.
The debut feature film by Theodor Luts who himself took part in the Estonian War of Independence. It is the first Estonian war film that depicts young men from all over Estonia fighting for the freedom of their fatherland. The silent film consists of numerous spectacular battle scenes.
Estonian film heritage
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Estonian Film Database (EFDB)
The database is maintained by NGO Estonian Film Database. It was opened on 12.12.2012 and is meant for providing information about the whole Estonian film heritage from 1912. We plan fully complete it by 2025 but already now full and partial entries for about 20 000 films, 27 000 filmmakers, and more than 200 production companies could be retrieved in Estonian and partly in English. Translation of film descriptions and keywords into English is ongoing but due to the scarcity of resources quite a slow process. Read more detailed overview.
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How to obtain a film copy
Please find an instruction how to obtain a copy of a film or newsreel for personal use from here.