The documentaries set in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were picked thinking about news and film makers looking to expand their comprehension of the past and present life in the Baltic States. However, the list is dedicated to everyone who loves movies and the Baltics.
Documentaries about the Baltic States
Most of the titles in the list deal with the independence movements and issues of post-soviet transformation. Some of the stories, for example, the account on Soviet Estonians secretly watching western pop on Finnish TV on “Disco and Atomic War” or the detective story of missing Latvian banker reappearing in Malaysia in “My father the Banker” are entertaining and fun to watch.
Other large portion of the titles on the list represent various perspectives on the Second World War and its aftermath. The Israeli-German-Lithuanian “Farewell Herr Schwarz” is an impressive effort to rediscover the Jewish history in the region while following the steps of missing family member. “Out of the Forest” is based on the diary of the journalist who through his window witnessed the executions of tens of thousands Jews in Ponary near Vilnius. Although less entertaining, these movies are incredibly powerful and important when trying to understand the political, social and cultural evolution of the Baltic states.
In 2018 to celebrate the centenary of the Independence of the Baltic States numerous historical events are currently being revisited on film. One of such movies – ARTE’s “Les Ames Baltes” is exploring impressionist arts in the Baltics.
The list of almost 100 Documentaries Set in the Baltic States is available on imdb.com. And, good news, fixers.press regularly updates it with new ones.