TCFS presents: “Rodeo” and “The Year of Dragon”

Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 4pm

Two documentary films showing the rapid changes Estonia has gone through before and after regaining independence in 1991.

“Rodeo”  (75mins): Directors Kiur Aarma and Raimo Joerand construct an absorbing portrait of one of the most unusual periods in Estonian history in Rodeo, a documentary which deals with the rapid ascent to high political office of 32-year old Mart Laar, the youngest prime minister in European history. In 1992, Estonia held its first free election since World War II, and elected the inexperienced Laar, who was tasked with providing order to the country, which was at that time in complete chaos. Closely chronicling the innumerable ups and downs of Laar’s time in public office, the film deals with the storied relationship between Estonia and the Soviet Union, both prior to and during Laar’s stint as Prime Minister of Estonia. Rodeo is full of twists and turns that seem unbelievable at times, but this engaging film is a testament to the adage that truth can indeed be stranger than fiction.

“The Year of Dragon”, 1988 original/2010 restored edition (59mins): Andres Sööt’s “Year of the Dragon” is a documentary that takes a chronological view of events in Soviet-occupied Estonia in 1988. The period covered in the film is actually from St. George’s Day (Jüripäev) in mid-April, 1988 to the initial declaration of sovereignty by the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR on November 16, 1988 (which was soon thereafter nullified by Moscow). In hindsight, many of the events chronicled in the film can be seen as incremental steps towards Estonia’s final declaration of re-established independence on August 20, 1991, which could only be dreamed of at the time of filming.

Films are in Estonian with English subtitles. Tickets at the door $10.