Fascinating use of Western culture as a counter-culture message against totalitarianism. Where are the artists in the west who will use creativity and the arts as more than a tool of personal self-expression or railing against any constraints, and truly challenge the power structures of our society, whether the academy, the media, or other self-appointed censors of political correctness?

My daughter is studying Hamlet right now and I can't wait to share this bit with her. I know theatre and the arts have great power which, I think, is why we in Canada, have seen a blatant attack by our Prime Minister, on the arts. It is good to be reminded that I am not alone in my understanding of this power.

I took my family to see this film. My husband is Ants (Andy)Eskola, the son of Ants Eskola the Estonian actor. It was a very moving film. I had heardmuch history from my husbands' family. We in America have never been through anything like this film portrays, it really makes you open your eyes and give htnaks to Gid for what wetake for granted here...

Marju Lauristin also commented to us something to the effect that under the Soviet occupation, politics was a joke and the arts were serious but that since independence it's reversed...politics is serious and the arts are a joke. That's a funny line. I suppose it's true that when one has a comfortable life, one tends looks more for entertainment than meaningful communication in the arts. I would hope that after basic survival needs are taken care of, and with an abundance of personal freedom, that we could all start thinking heavily about how to truly improve the human condition. But ironically, when we have everything we really need, we seek escape in entertainment. You would think escapism is more needed under totalitarian rule...but that is not perhaps how it plays out. Sorry for the generalization, but her comment has stayed in my mind for years and has often been my filter as I watch the American entertainment scene....

Both my sons had the unbelievable fortune of playing in full, uncut productions of "Hamlet", one five years ago as Polonius, and the other last year as the prince himself. Both have seen and been moved by your wonderful film. I will show them the Hamlet comments.

Thank-you!
Jane in Wisconsin

And, by the way, the group that is producing full, uncut Shakespeare for kids about 7-18 years of age is the Young Shakespeare Players in Madison, WI. www.ysp.org

Last year my wife and I visited Estonia as the guests of a gentleman whose first name was Mati. At the time of the singing revolution he was (my words) the director of visitor affairs in Estonia for the USSR. A native born Estonian, he had witnessed the murder of his parents and siblings by a Russian soldier. After shooting the others in the head, the soldier turned to him and his grandmother and said, "take him away, perhaps some day he will be useful to us." As an adult he became a powerful man on behalf of the USSR but never stopped his subversive efforts to prepare for the eventual day of freedom for his country. He worked with friends of ours in Finland as a spy. The stories he told us were breathtaking! One day he drove me to the amphitheatre shown in your trailer and I stood on the hill above the place where the singing took place. He had never referred to it as the "singing revolution" as we drove around the countryside and city and he shared, with great emotion, events that had taken place. Then, we drove up to the hill above the amphitheatre. I had seen your trailer prior to my trip. When I sat next to this man and looked down the hill I suddenly realized what he was telling me. I turned to him and asked, "Was this called the singing revolution?" With tears in his eyes he simply said, "yes." I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I could not speak and simply stepped out of his car and walked down the hill. Sitting alone on that hill, I could hear the voices singing. I am 65 years old and he was truly one of the "bigger than life" people I have ever met. Sadly, he passed away from cancer a couple of months ago. Thought you would find this interesting. Can't wait to see the movie and would be happy to assist here in Jacksonville, Fl.
Tim

Its a tragedy how after all of those beautiful and high emotions there is a small contra tendency among young people of age between 18-25 to make fun of all that was emotionally important to their parents. I have met some young people to be critical and cynical about their parents world full of pride for what they did together.

If you want to be involved in social activities and do something for the sake of your country you can't be very ironical or you don't want to be involved.

Where this irony comes from? Lauristin has said well about the place of arts in todays free Estonia. Its more fun. Plus there isn't very much of serious things going on in whole media. Mass media with its todays propaganda spreads values of irony, laughing about real emotions and so on. So we have a huge amount of young people grown under the influence of the new type of propaganda where it is forbidden even think about of what is real.

What is the purpose of that type of mass media in general? If more people grow up under the influence of laughing at what is real to them, they later do not want to be involved in activities for the sake of their society. If you do something for the others, that means you do it from heart. So, just have an attack on real emotions or try to replace these with something similar and many teenagers will instantly try to act as they see on TV. Especially if parents are much involved in survival or in other words earning money enough to have something to eat and do not have much time for their kids. In Estonia without much influence of quality media this just works in larger scale than in western world.