Estonia: Recommended Books and Movies

To learn about Estonia past and present, check out a few of these books and films.

The Czar's Madman (Jaan Kross, 1992). Accused of insanity, a nobleman from the Livonian region of Estonia is subsequently monitored and scrutinized by his family.
Treading Air (Jaan Kross, 1998). This novel follows the life of protagonist Ullo Paerand, from the 1920s through the Soviet occupation of Estonia.
Truth and Justice (Anton Hansen Tammsaare, 1926). In one of the cornerstones of Estonian literature, Tammsaare draws from his own life to describe Estonia's evolution into an independent state.

Autumn Ball (2007). Based on the novel by Mati Unt, this film explores the isolation of six disparate people living in a Soviet-era apartment complex.
The Singing Revolution (2006). This documentary follows the evolution of Estonian music as a form of peaceful protest and symbol of patriotism.
Spring (1969). Set in a small town boarding school, this coming-of-age story is an Estonian classic.
Tangerines (2013). In this Golden Globe-nominated film, a man in a small village must care for wounded victims during the 1992 war in Abkhazik, Georgia.