The Collegian

Issue date: 9/18/08 Section: Arts

From under the heavy hand of Soviet rule, Estonians nurtured their political dissent by refusing to sing propaganda. Instead, they sang traditional folk songs.

Sept. 20, film director Jim Tusty will tell the story of Estonia, caught between the competing forces of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, and its struggle for freedom through singing.

In 1869, more than 30,000 Estonians started gathering every five years to sing their traditional music in a national festival, the Laulupidu.

The festival gained political weight in 1969, when attendees rebelled against communist dictates by singing national folk songs, like "Land of My Fathers, Land that I Love."

The Soviet command realized Estonians were not singing approved music and shut the festival down. That didn't stop the music. Estonians went to the open fields and continued to sing.

And young people led the revolt.

"The singing revolution was a revolution of young people," Tusty said. "It was not driven by leaders. Leaders emerged."

This story captivated the Tustys, Jim and his wife and co-director Maureen, when they taught film at the Estonian University in 1999 and 2001.

"The Estonians used singing as a means of uniting, emboldening, energizing the people," Tusty said.

The story is energizing Americans, too. Tusty has shown the film in 120 cities, including a five-week run in New York City.

"The 'Singing Revolution' is about how Estonia kept culture alive while under the Soviet Union and how singing gave them unity and strength," said senior Hannah Mead, Praxis president.

The political economy club will host the event, and Mead said the message of the film fits with Praxis' message to preserve political and economic freedom.

This event comes after a week of CCA lectures on the Cold War and provides a story of life under the Soviet Union that will "inspire people about freedom and independence," Tusty said.

"Some of us think these days that things don't look very good in the world," Assistant Professor of Economics Charles Steel said. "There's always room for good things to happen when people stand up and fight."

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