Estonian capital city Tallinn bills itself modestly as a medieval city by the sea, but this new tourism video shows it’s a lot more than that – it’s got culture, colourful costumes, and a quirky sense of humour. The film mashes up traditional dance with modern choreography and a blast of hip-hop (US rapper Future’s Face Off), which all adds up to an eminently joyful and watchable 90 seconds of entertainment.
The line is “Times can change. The Estonian spirit does not. Some things just run in the blood.” The spirit is in full evidence here: the performers are from Tallinn University’s folk ensemble, and the choreographer and the cinematographer are also locals.
It’s a lesson in humour and authenticity, and shows why a hyperlocal idea can go global, if it’s the right one. The idea actually comes from Australian choreographer James M Fenwick (he gets a credit), whose global film series Born From Culture uses movement to tell stories from around the world. He’s worked similar magic for the Maori and there’s a wonderful Bolivia film set to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. There’s also a version for Georgia which is remarkably similar to the Estonia film and uses the same track, but let’s gloss over that.
Estonia has already won friends around the world by standing up to former occupier Russia. Fittingly, the independence movement was sparked in the late 1980s by the “Singing Revolution,” a series of massive, peaceful musical protests against Soviet rule.
This film will undoubtedly win over more fans, and what it doesn’t tell you is that Estonia is a great place to visit. It’s Scandinavia without the Scandinavian prices, complete with pristine streets, a digital culture, fairy tale architecture, and unspoiled nature. The famous Christmas markets should be doing excellent business this year.
MAA creative scale: 8
