Estonia
1990 - Program about Estonia, smallest republic in former USSR which was at the forefront of independent movement. Film profiles this nation's struggle for freedom and breakup of the USSR. Visuals include footage showing 5,000 pro-Moscow supporters storming Estonian Parliament building,, 10,000 pro-independence demonstrators arriving to protect Parliament. includes Interviews of Prime Minister, politicians of all persuasions, economists, journalists, veterans and historic archival footage.
|00:00:42:20 - 00:04:12:26>>> WS of mass of people assembled in the Tallinn square in February 1979, some with flags. The red flag of the Estonian-Soviet Republic is lowered on flagpole for last time. MS of people clapping hands and CU of the folded flag being carried off to museum. MS of raising of the new Estonian flag, white, black and blue as people sing anthem. MS and CU and WS of the people watching. WS over countryside. MS of the signing of agreement of cooperation by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Various shots of people of 3 nations joining hands and making a human chain of 2 million people 600 meters long. Street scenes. Good CU of children watching television - Children watching the Bill Cosby Show on TV (with subtitles), cartoonish Kellogg’s Rice Krispies advertisement.
|00:04:12:29 - 00:06:52:01>>> Harbor scenes, boats. MED couple kissing. CU ferry coming to camera . Ferry signs in terminal to “Stockholm, Visby, Gdansk, Tallinnâ€. The ferry ship “Tallinkâ€. Flags of various countries flying. Harbor with 3 large ferry ships. Airline schedule board. Good MED shot of PanAm passenger plane landing at airport and touching down on runway. MED shots of people and crowds on streets. CU neon sign of various stores (Benneton, Rolex, Sale signs, Manhattan store sign, McDonalds in mall, ) and supermarket with people shopping. CU sign “welcome†in various languages. MED of tractor on farm, ZI to cows eating grain. MED woman at computer terminal typing. CU Finlandia cheese blocks on conveyor line and boxed. CU hand cutting cheeses on cutting board. CU woman hand buying newspaper off shelves of newsstand. ZO from CU of flags (US, Canada, Finland)Entrance to Arctia Hotel. CU meat on platter being served and ZO to Asian couples in restaurant. People on beach, in park, diving into pool. WS of architecture. Over the shoulder shots of children watching television.
|00:06:52:03 – 00:08:14:04>>>CU’s of people discussing benefits of new agreements. BW newsreel - Various shots of visit of Finland’s President visit to Estonia in 1925 in motorcade with crowds cheering lining street and waving flags..The Kalev station with a sign “Tervetuloa!†hanging and many people in front of station. Open automobile with the dignitaries followed by horsemen riding down a street with crowds of people on both sides. Young boys waving flags. Dignitaries meeting and shaking hands.
|00:08:39:22 - 00:11:20:28>>>CU and interview with Max Jakobson, author, about social changes. BW historical footage (1939-early 1940s) of Finnish soldiers on maneuvers in the snow in white camouflage dress, a ski patrol, officer handing awards to soldiers. Men in military dress walking down capitol building steps. Sentry post. Soviet soldiers in trucks riding thru a border gate after takeover.
|00:11:21:00 - 00:14:19:02>>>Finnair passenger plane taking off. Various at Tallinn airport. Woman leading a female singing group. Horse and wagon with driver and 3 women tourists riding thru picturesque street. Military band entertaining. CU’s of people watching, a young girl, a woman with camera to her eye, Finnish soldiers and one with camera. American female tourist being interviewed. Mihkel Tarm, editor of “Estonian Life†and Mihkel Tiks, editor of “Tallinn This Week†being interviewed.
|00:14:19:03 - 00:15:55:04>>> Kaubahal supermarket entry and views inside of many empty shelves due to food shortage at that time. CU beer being dispensed into glasses. Interview with Kevin Vilgats, a journalist about inflation and various of people drinking and toasting with beer glasses.
|00:15:55:05 – 00:23:17:17>>>Shots of manufacturing high production machine with wieners being produced - loaded output conveyor. People inside factory along assembly lines and packages along conveyor. Jaan Jalakas of Esva-Valio Joint Company about joint ventures and cooperation. Conveyor with boxed fish product.
NOT ON TAPE
|0:16:29>>>EXT and INT of The Palace Hotel. CU plaque “AP Arctia Hotel Partners†– registration desk. Esko Allila of the Bank of Finland discussing risks of foreign investors to industry in Estonia but not derogatory. Wall decorated with red background, an insignia with Russian letters, a picture of Lenin and a Soviet-Estonia flag. Wall with a picture of Gorbachev and Ruutel, the Estonian prime minister. Pavel Pulkoff of the strike committee about the labor strikes in Estonia.
NOT ON TAPE
|0:18:05>>>Various of strikers, one putting hand over camera lens. Various of pro Moscow supporters, some carrying Soviet-Estonia flags, at a violent demonstration on May 15, 1990, CU’s and MS’s. HS of crowd in front of Parliament building. Mihkail Lysenko of “Interfrontâ€with microphone exhorts crowd to demand that the Prime Minister come out to see them or they storm the gate. Various of strikers pushing thru the entrance. Truck driving thru an arched opening in the wall. HS of pro-Moscow supporters leaving the square in a long line about 6 people across thru the mob of pro-independence supporters. Various Ruutel and others walk out of building and holding hands aloft holding another as a victory symbol. Shot up to top of building showing Estonian flag that replaced the Soviet- Estonian flag. MS square with a few people and autos with front of Parliament building in back. CU of man holding Estonia flag. MS 2 men holding flags at building entrance. Good CU of drum being played. Various marchers with Estonian flags, people along street side watching, lined in groups in square. People singing the anthem, some men dressed in blue type jackets. WS square filled with people. CU’s men with right hand on heart taking an oath. Pro-democratic supporters with hand made signs. Parliament room with people seated and 3 Estonia flags hung on front wall as man describes this place as nerve center of revolution. POV from dais out to seated reps. CU’s of the main reps. Marju Lauristan at microphone on dais for independence. BW historical newsreel of her father on dais for bringing Estonia under the Soviet rule. CU of her being interviewed by a reporter.
|00:23:17:18 – 00:26:35:03>>>CU of Lauristan being interviewed by reporter. CU lapel pin for the Estonia-Soviet union as the flag with writing. Nikolai Aksinin, pro-Moscow Interfront Deputy talks against separation. Tiit Made, a deputy, discusses the economy of a separation from Soviet.
|00:26:35:16 - 00:28:53:18>>>Picturesque silhouette of smokestack spewing black smoke against sun lit cloudy sky. PANS of large industrial sites and smoking stacks (good shot for pollution) Edgar Savisaar, new prime minister interview talking about support for Estonian independence. PAN from ceiling down to altar in church of a marriage by priest. Good CU of Woman lighting candle in darkened church. Married couple exiting church and remarking about this church wedding not able to be performed under Soviet rule.
|00:28:53:19 – 00:32:46:21>>>Stage play of “Fiddler on the Roof†with man singing “If I were a Rich Man†in Estonian. Jewish woman interview of her fear of continued anti-Semitism. CU with Hanukah candelabra on sideboard. Lutheran church service - POV down church aisle to altar, various of priest and congregants. Shots of Choir soloist and choir singing a revival type song, clapping hands (very much like Baptist service) with cutaways to congregation. Ex Estonian Soviet army draftee at Russian monument discusses Russian wrongs. CU of bronze head with helmet. POV of him walking away into a grassy field and wanting a separate monument for Estonian soldiers.
|00:32:47:05 - 00:37:07:29>>>POV thru windshield of car with view of Soviet tank caravan riding on other side of road. CU Estonian soldiers in Russian army. Estonian students discussing the Soviet draft. Various at Tartu University. Interview Priit Heinsalu, assistant director of the university with portraits of past professors. Richard Sowers, Anderson University, Indiana, USA leading a large church choir. MS of Soviet fighter jets at airport.
|00:37:08:02 – 00:42:07:08>>>Andre Joesaar, disc jockey at his studio with earphones at microphone says will play music not before allowed by Soviet. CU hands at control board. CU record on turntable. CU Andre interview. CU sign on building wall “Pagari Naraph†and plaque underâ€4â€. Various building, signs, framed art that was previously not allowed. Interview Heie Treier, art critic and various modern art works in museum. Interview Mihkel Tiks, editor Estonian Culture Magazine, about the new shown art. Interview Jaan Kaplinski, poet, new writing of books and poetry after separation from Moscow.
00:37:08:02 - CU PAN of young girls in native costume singing traditional song. CU young lady in native dress putting a flower wreath on head. MS of tradition dressed couples dancing in a grassy field in countryside. MS of band playing the music. CU as dancers pass by camera. CU of very young girl with knitted wraparound scarf and babushka. CU of young ladies singing at song festival.
|00:42:07:09 - 00:43:39:01>>>LS and MS of bandshell and huge crowd at concert. WS crowd POV from stage. 30,000 singers in field singing at festival. Commentator talking with view up to parliament building tower with Estonia flag on top. Young girls watching Television of the festival. GOod over the shoulder POV of the girls looking at television. Various city sites. Closes with various of choir singing in Helsinki and film credits.