Estonia: Recommended Books and Movies
By Rick Steves
To learn about Estonia past and present, check out a few of these books and films.
Books
- 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.
Films
- 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.