Category: Cultural heritage

We’re inviting you to the Culture Digihack on 10-12 June to digitize minority culture. The event takes place in Narva and free transportation is organized from Tallinn and Tartu. The organizers will also take care of accommodation for everyone coming from outside of Narva. 

The aim of the event is to build digital solutions that raise social awareness and interest in the importance of cultural heritage and its preservation. You don’t have to have a lot of digital skills to take part in the hackathon. We’re welcoming participants from all backgrounds! The most important thing is that you have an idea that you want to bring to life or want to contribute to building solutions with your knowledge about culture, problem-solving skills, team leadership etc. 

The organizers of the event will make sure that there will be enough developers and designers at the event to build prototypes of all the ideas. Field experts and technical mentors will be at the hackathon to support the process. 

We’re looking for solutions in the following topic areas:

✨ Cultural education

✨ Exhibitions to museums and libraries

✨ Preserving and developing traditional heritage

✨ Collaboration and communication between nationalities

✨ Showcasing cultural heritage in digital environment

✨ Fostering intergenerational connections and the growth of future generations of cultural associations

How does this sound? Find more information here:  https://garage48.org/events/kultuuri-digihakk

Registration is open until June 5th here: https://garage48.typeform.com/to/GPbqxzp6

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Marketing Manager of the event Jana: jana@garage48.org

See you at the event! 

Folk dance is not something I knew much about growing up. I’ve discovered that a lot of teens in Europe study traditional partner dancing in preparation for their graduation balls – a habit that does not cross over into the US. Sure, I took dance classes as a child (e.g. ballet, tap, jazz) that were meant to entertain an audience but these had a very different relationship with culture or history.

I got a crash course in folk dance at the Sabatants festival last month. In the organizers’ own words, “Sabatants is a traditional dance festival that honours traditions and spreads the joy of dancing.” It normally happens once a year in the spring, but in 2018 a second festival also brought folk dance fans to Tartu in autumn. Things that I noticed or that surprised me about the local folk dance scene include:

1 The crowd has a sense of humor. Before this experience, I thought of folk dancing as a serious subject, done either by older generations fighting to keep the tradition alive or by children forced by their parents to participate. This idea was challenged the moment I walked in the door by funny signs leading the way to the top floor location. This was a place where traditions could actually be enjoyed more thoroughly by not taking everything too seriously.

2 Folk dancing is an all-ages affair. I had expected the age range to skew olde., but in reality, I would have a hard time estimating the average age of the attendees. There were men and women dancing with babies on their hips. There were parent-and-child musical acts. There were teens, adults, and older generations on the floor at any given moment – in one circular dance I held hands with a girl of maybe seven on one side and a middle-aged man on the other.

3 Anyone can be partners. One of the things that has often kept me out of partner dancing in the past is the strict division of gender roles and requirement of a partner. In this crowd, there were certainly couples who danced together, but it was just as common to see two women circling the floor together as it was to bump into a mixed gender pair. There are a variety of arm positions to choose from for the comfort of the couples. Many of the experienced dancers also seemed eager to bring newcomers into the group. The organizers encourage this, saying “There is always something new to learn from new partners, and it’s a good way to share your own experience with others.”

4 It’s a great cardio workout. Some dances shuffled around the room with small steps, while other songs inspired a barefoot blond to leap across the floor, twirling his partner in dizzying circles. No matter the pace of the current dance, I found myself breathing heavily after any session on the floor, but the moves themselves seemed accessible for all levels of fitness. Stamina simply dictated how often the dancers needed a break.

5 The instruments are unique. Every time I thought I saw an instrument that I recognized, I realized it was a slight variation. There are local versions of what I know as an accordion, a fiddle, a large cross-between-a-slide-guitar-and-a-xylophone (a zither?), and a small set of bagpipes. Quite often, the stomping feet on the dance floor also added the percussion element to the music being played.

6 It’s a very welcoming community. Jaan Sarv, who co-organizes Sabatants with fellow musician and dancer Leanne Barbo, told me that “There are no prerequisites. You don’t have to be a dancer. It’s for everybody.” One place that spirit is evident is in the non-existent dress code: jeans and a T-shirt? Sure. Flowing colorful skirt? Why not? Just make sure you bring shoes that weren’t worn outside…but socks or bare feet are also fine in a pinch. In addition to this atmosphere of acceptance, integration is built into many of the dances. You might change partners fifteen times or more in a single song, putting all dancers face to face with anyone who decides to join in. The more experienced members show an impressive level of patience with any newcomers attempting to keep up with the steps.

7 The connections are international. Sabatants incorporates plenty of Estonian folk dancing but also brings international communities into the mix. Performers from Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Hungary, Udmurtia and Estonia rounded out the lineup of musicians and dance teachers. I chatted with festival attendees from Germany, Australia, South Africa, and America and as close as the surrounding Estonian regions. While different folk dance traditions have their own styles and quirks, there was a lot in common across these cultures to establish a bond between the room.

8 I can’t wait to learn more! The main lesson I took away is how much the welcoming environment made me want to be a part of the folk dancing scene. I now find myself searching event calendar for concerts and joining social media groups to search for local dance nights. Despite warnings from guidebooks and culture shock workshops always preparing outsiders for the “cold and closed off” local personality, I have found the folk dancing community (and a majority of Estonian people in general) to actually be the exact opposite.

It is very appropriate that the first personal exhibition of the new building of the Estonian National Museum is dedicated to Anu Raud, whose role as a bearer of Estonian folk art is difficult to overemphasize, especially since her 75th birthday falls on the same year with the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. The exhibition consists of two parts. Ene-Liis Semper has designed the main part in a separate gallery. The second part of the exhibition which is located next to the entrance to the museum is immediately visible to those who enter the museum. This part consists of rugs that were chosen in collaboration with the artist and the curator. On the one hand, it allows for a larger number of Anu Raud’s works to be exhibited, including the works that for one reason or another did not fit into the gallery; and on the other hand, it brings the exhibition out of the primary room and lets the works interact with the building in a different way.

Although it is an overview exhibition, the curator has avoided the chronological approach and for this exhibition, it works – it’s good to see how the rugs of different decades have the same motifs in a new context. It is possible to see the first rug of Anu Raud, Muhu Couple, completed as the graduate work of the art institute in 1968, as well as her newest work Landscapes of My Fatherland by which the exhibition is named after. When the colour range has become more restrained and the composition more minimalistic during the career of the artist, many strong symbols and themes in her work have survived over time.

Anu Raud’s rugs have a certain pictorial character. Rug as a predominantly two-dimensional medium favours this tendency, but the important part in this is also played by the fact that young Anu Raud wanted to become a painter. Thus, the viewer feels that they are at a painting exhibition where the oil painting or watercolor technique has been replaced with textiles. As the tradition of knitting rugs is much older than painting in Estonia, the medium also refers to folk culture. While studying works closely, the use of colour reminds a little bit of painting and the change-overs of the colour tones of yarn recall brush strokes. The colours of the same rug may seem completely different to the eye depending on the viewer’s location in the room.

The artist’s style combines various mythologies, traditions, and cultural layers through the ages. Christian and local indigenous mythology are presented side by side, blended with witty clues to the present. There is a pink car on one rug and EstCube on the other. Contrary to many other examples of contemporary interpretations of folk art that focus only on rural and farm culture, several rugs by Raud are dedicated to the urban environment. Pikk jalg (Long Leg, a street in Tallinn) depicts the street in Old Town as a striped stocking, Tower depicts Pikk Hermann (Tall Hermann). In its minimalism and clarity, Night in the City is particularly noticeable, both the city lights and the stars shining above them are depicted as the eight-heeled stars. In addition to the cross, eight-heeled stars are one of the most common elements in Anu Raud’s rugs, combining different mythologies.

As noted by the exhibition’s curator Reet Mark, Anu Raud’s works cross culture and generations. The purpose and locations of the rugs are also often associated with the life cycles of a human. Many of her rugs are located at schools, indicating the artist’s interest in combining different generations and past and present-day folk culture. Similarly, there is a clever humour on many of her rugs that crosses the borders of generations. Walk-about makes socks look like animals. Mitten Trees delivers the artist’s desire to help the bare and freezing trees in winter by covering them with mittens – on the one hand, the work reminds of old children’s stories, on the other hand, the ancient sacred grove traditions of Estonians and the old beliefs of animatism of many natural cultures. Rugs made for Civil Registry Offices also form a separate theme. Among them, beautifully composed Wedding Day from the Võru Town Government stands out. At the center of the work are the newlyweds above the wedding bed, around them are the wedding guests and a selection of items that make up something which is like the encyclopedia of everyday life. The pair of rugs, Suitor and Together is borrowed from the Viljandi Town Government. Thus, the motives are mythological and contemporary at the same time, focusing on various symbolic events and periods in life.

As a separate topic, some private stories can be found on the rugs. Dawn is a reference to the artist’s bedroom window and the entering sunlight that signals the arrival of the morning. Field Worshippers tells the story of how Anu Raud worked in the field decades ago with her fellow students, and kind local women lent the woolen skirts for girls to prevent their „modern“ jeans from getting dirty. Play discusses the nature of work and traditions in a changing world through the complex life of the artist’s father Mart Raud, referring to the novel Axe and Moon. For Anu Raud, folk art is something that connects different people but is deeply individual at the same time.

All in all, Landscapes of My Fatherland is a good example of the fact that folk art is not a static phenomenon, but a mythology in constant change, in which different periods and generations do not need to contradict each other. The exhibition works equally well for both Estonian and foreign visitors. The motives of Raud are sufficiently clear and cross-cultural, not requiring explanations or prior knowledge, but at the same time, they are sufficiently detailed to provide an opportunity for going deeper.

I would like to sincerely thank the curator Reet Mark for a pleasant conversation and the exhibition experience.

Photo: Anu Raud’s rug Joyful News

Culture.ee’s virtual culture guide.

JANUARY
1.–7.01., Tartu 5TH TARTU WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL
1.–7.01., Tallinn 7TH TALLINN BACH MUSIC FESTIVAL „BACHFEST“
5.–11.01., Tallinn KORFEST 2018
19.–20.01., Jõgeva 13TH POETRY DAYS „CHILDREN OF THE WIND“ DEDICATED TO BETTI ALVER
20.01., Tallinn INTSIKURMU WINTER FESTIVAL
24.–26.01., Pärnu DRAAMA 2018 SMALL THEATRE FESTIVAL FOR CRITICS
26.01.–4.02., Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Jõhvi MUSTONENFEST
26.01.–14.10., all over Estonia FESTIVAL „SCHOOL DANCE“
31.01.–4.02., Tallinn DOCPOINT TALLINN

FEBRUARY
2.–4.02., Tallinn 5TH JEW’S HARP FESTIVAL
3.–4.02., Tallinn SIMPLE SESSION 18
3.–4.02., Laulasmaa 16TH YOUTH THEATRE FESTIVAL TEENIFEST
5.–10.02., Rakvere RAKVERE GYMNASIUM’S FILM FESTIVAL
5.–13.02., Tallinn 11TH TALLINN WINTER FESTIVAL
9.02., Tallinn ACOUSSION FESTIVAL
10.02., Valga 18TH INTERNATIONAL PIANO ENSEMBLES FESTIVAL
10.–11.02., Tartu 18TH FESTIVAL OF YOUNG CELLISTS
10.–22.02., Tallinn FESTIVAL „ESTONIAN THEATRE IN THE ESTONIAN NATIONAL OPERA“
12.–16.02., Tallinn FESTIVAL „VIRMALISED“
16.–17.02., Kuressaare 4TH NATIONAL A. RAUDKATS DANCE COMPETITION
16.–18.02., Viljandi 16TH STUDENT THEATRE DAYS
23.02., Tallinn INDOOR MUSIC FESTIVAL „MADE IN ESTONIA“
23.02., Tallinn WINTER GRIND

MARCH
4.–31.03., all over Estonia THE MONTH OF FRANCOPHONIE
9.03., Tallinn MARCH 9 PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL „SERIOUSLY ABOUT HUMOUR“
9.–10.03., Jõgeva 22ND MUSIC DAYS DEDICATED TO ALO MATTIISEN
9.–10.03., Tallinn ARS FILM FESTIVAL AFF 2018
10.03., Tallinn 11TH PERFORMING ARTS SHORT FORMS FESTIVAL MADE IN ESTONIA MARATHON
10.03., Valga ESTONIAN MUSIC VIDEO FESTIVAL
15.–18.03., Tallinn EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL „CECILIANA“
19.–25.03., Tartu 15TH WORLD FILM FESTIVAL
22.–24.03., Tallinn TALLINN FASHION WEEK
23.–25.03., Kuressaare NATIONAL SCHOOL THEATRE FESTIVAL „SAAREMAA MINI THEATRE DAYS“
24.03., Tartu SOUND AND DUSK FESTIVAL „NIGHT OF THE ESTONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM“

APRIL
April, Tartu FESTIVAL „VUNK“
2.–8.04., Tallinn TALLINN MUSIC WEEK 2018
9.–29.04., across Estonia GERMAN SPRING 2018 – FOCUS ON HAMBURG
12.–13.04., Tartu STUDENTS SCIENCE FESTIVAL 2018
12.–19.04., Tallinn, Tartu ESTONIAN MUSIC DAYS 2018 „SACRED“
12.–22.04., Tallinn TALLINN OLD TOWN FOOD FESTIVAL
17.–24.04., Viljandi JAZZ FESTIVAL VILJANDI JAZZKAAREKE
19.04., Lehtse MUSIC FESTIVAL FOR SMALL SCHOOLS „MUSIC INSIDE AND AROUND US“
20.–23.04., Tartu, Tallinn POLISH AND ESTONIAN CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL „WARSAW SPRING“
20.–29.04., all over Estonia JAZZKAAR
21.–28.04., Tallinn XI HARPSICHORD FESTIVAL
23.–29.04., Viljandi DANCE WEEK
26.–29.04., Tartu 17TH SUPILINN DAYS
27.–28.04., Tallinn TALLINN COFFEE FESTIVAL
27.–29.04., Haapsalu 13TH HAAPSALU HORROR AND FANTASY FILM FESTIVAL (HÕFF)
27.–29.04., Tallinn TALLINN LARP FESTIVAL
27.–30.04., Tallinn TRADITIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL „SABATANTS“
27.04.–5.05., Jõhvi 11TH JÕHVI BALLET FESTIVAL
28.04., all over Estonia ESTONIAN OPEN FISHING PORT DAY 2018
28.04.–5.05., Tartu TARTU STUDENT DAYS: SPRING

MAY
2.–5.05., Tartu AUTHOR’S SONG FESTIVAL „MAILAUL“
2.–6.05., Viljandi VILJANDI COMEDY FILM FESTIVAL „WILKOM“
5.–6.05., Pärnu PROVINCIAL THEATRE DAYS
7.–12.05., Tartu, Jõhvi INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE FESTIVAL „PRIMA VISTA“
11.–12.05., Mooste ESTONIAN FOLK MUSIC ARRANGEMENTS FESTIVAL
12.05., Lao 8TH RÄIMEWEST HERRING FESTIVAL
12.–13.05., Kihlepa DANDELION FESTIVAL
17.–19.05., Tartu ULMEFESTIVAL
17.–19.05., Tartu FREEDOM FESTIVAL
19.05., all over Estonia NIGHT OF MUSEUMS: PARTY IN THE NIGHT
19.05., Koigi WEED FESTIVAL
23.–27.05., Tallinn TALLINN LITERATURE FESTIVAL „HEADREAD“
25.05., all over Estonia INTERNATIONAL NIGHT OF CHURCHES
26.05., Abja-Paluoja 5TH MULGI PARTY
26.05., Orjaku WINDFISH FESTIVAL
26.–27.05., Kuressaare KURESSAARE STREET FESTIVAL
30.05.–3.06., Tallinn 37TH TALLINN OLD TOWN DAYS

JUNE
June, Pärnu, all over Estonia and Europe DIVERSE UNIVERSE PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL
June–September, Naissaar, all over Estonia NARGENFESTIVAL
1.–2.06., Viljandi VILJANDI HANSEATIC DAYS
1.–3.06., Türi 12TH TÜRI SPRING FESTIVAL
2.06., Haapsalu HAAPSALU ITALIAN MUSIC FESTIVAL
2.06., Häädemeeste NORTH LIVONIAN FESTIVAL
2.06., Võru 5TH VÕRO-LANGUAGE SONG AND FOLK FESTIVAL UMA PIDO
2.06., Kohila KAPAROCK 2018
2.06.–1.07., Haapsalu HAAPSALU GRAPHIC DESIGN FESTIVAL
4.–10.06., Tartu ESTONIAN FASHION FESTIVAL
6.–12.06., Tallinn 5TH GUSTAV ADOLF ORGAN FESTIVAL
7.–9.06., Saue, Tallinn 16TH INTERNATIONAL YOUTH RHYTHM MUSIC FESTIVAL „VISIOON“
7.–17.06., Tallinn, Tartu, Narva FESTIVAL „TADAA!“
8.–10.06., Haapsalu INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY CIRCUS FESTIVAL „HOOG 2018“
8.–10.06., Uuri BUSHCRAFT FESTIVAL ESTLAND 2018
8.–10.06., Luige FESTIVAL „SWAN’S BEAK“
9.06., Virtsu ART FESTIVAL „TOORTUUMIK“
9.–10.06., Haapsalu NARGENFESTIVAL’S KREEK DAYS
9.–15.06., all over Estonia TALLINN GUITAR FESTIVAL 2018
10.06., Tallinn THE VERY SHORT MOVIES FESTIVAL 2018
11.–17.06., all over Estonia STREET ART FESTIVAL „STENCIBILITY“
13.–15.06., Saue 21ST DAYS OF CREATION AND IMPROVISATION
13.–16.06., Tartu NATURE FESTIVAL
14.–17.06., Hiiumaa SÕRU JAZZ
16.–17.06., Vastseliina XXIV COUNTRY FOLK FAIR
16.–17.06., Tartu TARTU STREET FOOD FESTIVAL
16.–23.06., Põhja-Sakala Parish 21TH SUURE-JAANI MUSIC FESTIVAL
20.–22.06., Kihnu Island KIHNU KNITTING FESTIVAL
22.–24.06., Tartu 18TH INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SONG AND DANCE FESTIVAL „GAUDEAMUS“
25.06.–08.07., Pärnu, all over Estonia 32ND PÄRNU FILM FESTIVAL
26.–30.06., Peipsimaa V PEIPSIMAA ORGAN FESTIVAL
27.–30.06., Haapsalu HAAPSALU TCHAIKOVSKY FESTIVAL
29.06., Tartu TARTU CITY DAY
29.06., Tartu GYPSY FESTIVAL „ROMANÕ TŠERGEN“
29.–30.06., Vana-Vigala HARD ROCK CAMP
29.–30.06., Värska SETO FOLK
29.–30.06., Kaiavere FESTIVAL „PUNK’N ROLL“
29.–30.06., Pühajärve village RETROBEST FESTIVAL 2018
29.06.–15.07., Ida-Viru County 20TH „THE MUSIC OF SEVEN CITIES“ FESTIVAL
29.06.–5.08., Kabli KABLI SUNSET FESTIVAL
30.06.–1.07., Narva 3RD NARVA MEDIEVAL FESTIVAL
30.06.–7.07., Peipsimaa 3RD LAKE PEIPUS FESTIVAL

JULY
July, Jõhvi INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL „SLAVIC LIGHT“
July–August, Pärnu, Riga PÄRNU PRINTMAKING IN FESTIVAL „HEAVENS UNDERGROUND“
4.–6.07., Tallinn ÕLLESUMMER FESTIVAL
4.–7.07., Rakvere INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF PERFORMING ARTS „BALTOSCANDAL“
4.–7.07., Tallinn 8TH HORTUS MUSICUS SUMMER FESTIVAL „IN HORTO REGIS“
4.–8.07., Haapsalu 25TH HAAPSALU EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL
4.–8.07., Sänna FINNO-UGRIC FILM FESTIVAL
4.–8.07., Saaremaa FESTIVAL „THE SONOROUS SOUNDS OF THE ORGANS OF SAAREMAA“
5.–7.07., Pärnu PÄRNU OPERA DAYS
5.–8.07., Muhu Island, Kuressaare, Tartu, Tallinn 22ND MUHU FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL „JUU JÄÄB“
5.–8.07., Tallinn 19TH MEDIEVAL DAYS
5.–8.07., Võru 24TH VÕRU FOLKLORE FESTIVAL
5.–8.07., Äksi SAADJÄRV FESTIVAL 2018
5.–9.07., Pärnu PÄRNU HARMONICA FESTIVAL AND COMPETITION „BALTIC-NORDIC OPEN“
6.–7.07., Kohtla-Nõmme FESTIVAL „THE MOUNTAIN SOUND“
6.–7.07., Pärnu BEACH FESTIVAL „BEACH GRIND“
6.–7.07., Toomasmäe SETO MIDSUMMER EVE BONFIRE
6.–8.07., Kihelkonna 23RD KIHELKONNA CHURCH MUSIC DAYS
6.–8.07., Kihnu Island KIHNU SEA FESTIVAL
6.–8.07., Kikkaoja ELECTRONIC MUSIC FESTIVAL „KÕU“
7.07., Laiksaare VÕNGE 2018. THE TRAVELLING MUSIC FESTIVAL
7.07., Valga VALGA COUNTY FESTIVAL OF TRADITIONAL CULTURE „SÄDE GARDEN PARTY“
7.07., Lindi village COASTAL VILLAGE FESTIVAL „FEAST OF OUR VILLAGE“
7.–8.07., Tartu TARTU HANSEATIC DAYS
7.–8.07., Tallinn 1ST ESTONIAN PIANO FESTIVAL „CAPTIVATED BY THE PIANO“
8.–14.07., Viljandi NOTAFE 2018
9.–14.07., Põlva County STREET ART FESTIVAL „RURAL URBAN ART: PÕLVAMAA“
10.–15.07., Viljandi VILJANDI VANAMUUSIKA FESTIVAL
10.07.–13.08., Tallinn ALION BALTIC FESTIVAL
11.07.–8.08., Pärnu SUMMER ARIA. SYNTHESIS OF THE ARTS 2018
12.–15.07., Orissaare I LAND SOUND 2018
12.–17.07., Tartu FESTIVAL „GLASPERLENSPIEL“
13.–14.07., Kanepi FESTIVAL „BEER CAMP & ROCK’N’ROLL“
13.–15.07., Haapsalu AMERICAN BEAUTY CAR SHOW
13.–15.07., Kilingi-Nõmme KILINGI-NÕMME TOWN DAYS
13.–15.07., Tallinn TALLINN MARITIME DAYS
13.–15.07., Pärnu 6TH PÄRNU INTERNATIONAL SAXOPHONE MUSIC FESTIVAL „SAX.FEST ’18“
14.07., Venevere PANDIVERE MUSIC FESTIVAL SUMMER RAGER 2018
14.–15.07., Hiiumaa HIIUMAA CHAMBER MUSIC DAYS
14.–15.07., Roosiku HEART MUSIC FESTIVAL 2018
18.–21.07., Narva BALTIC SUN 2018
19.–22.07., Hiiumaa 14TH HIIUMAA FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL „HIIU FOLK 2018“
19.–22.07., Valgeranna SURF CAMP 20
19.–28.07., Kuressaare SAAREMAA OPERA DAYS
21.07., Haapsalu FESTIVAL „ROCK IN HAAPSALU“
21.07., Hingu MOTONOSTALGIA 2018
21.07., Põltsamaa PÕLTSAMAA CASTLE DAY
21.07., Pärnu ESTONIAN VILLAGE MUSICIANS’ REUNION
21.07., Pärnu HAPPY CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL
26.–29.07., Viljandi 26TH VILJANDI FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL
26.–31.07., Hiiumaa, Tallinn 13TH HIIUMAA HOMECOMING FESTIVAL
26.07.–5.08. Rapla County 26TH RAPLA CHURCH MUSIC FESTIVAL
27.–28.07., Tartu MUSIC FESTIVAL „PUNK & ROCK 2018“
27.–28.07., Võsu VÕSU BEACH FESTIVAL „POWER ON THE BEACH 2018“
27.–29.07., Vormsi Island ST. OLAF’S DAY
27.–30.07., Pärnu PORCELAIN DAYS
27.07.–5.08., Tallinn EUROPA CANTAT XX TALLINN 2018
28.07., Valga 10TH INTERNATIONAL VALGA MILITARY HISTORY FESTIVAL
28.07., Narva-Jõesuu EAST BEACH FEST 2018
28.–29.07., Haapsalu YOGA FESTIVAL
28.–29.07., Võru VÕRU CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL „EARTH RINGS OF JOY“
28.07.–12.08., Tallinn 32ND TALLINN INTERNATIONAL ORGAN FESTIVAL
29.07., Tallinn LASNAMÄE PIE FESTIVAL
30.07.–5.08., Hiiumaa HIIUMAA DANCE FESTIVAL
31.07.–4.08., Kuressaare 24TH KURESSAARE CHAMBER MUSIC DAYS
the end of July or the beginning of August, Vormsi Island VORMSI SURFING DAYS

AUGUST
2.–5.08., Haapsalu AUGUST BLUES
3.–4.08., Põlva INTSIKURMU FESTIVAL
3.–4.08., Palupera LEIGO LAKE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2018
3.–4.08., Rõngu ESTONIAN HIPHOP FESTIVAL
3.–5.08., Narva-Jõesuu FESTIVAL „GROW AND DECAY“
3.–5.08., Eivere, Paide 6TH EIVERE PIANO FESTIVAL
3.–5.08., Suuremõisa PÜHALEPA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2018
3.–5.08., Tartu TARTU FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL
3.–5.08., Tartu TARTU SUMMER SWING
5.–11.08., Pärnu PÄRNU MUSIC FESTIVAL 2018
7.–12.08., Lihula 8TH LIHULA FLOWER EMBROIDERY FESTIVAL
7.–12.08., Mustvee VM FEST MUSTVEE INTERNATIONAL SACRED MUSIC FESTIVAL 2018
8.–12.08., Uhti 2ND POTTER’S WHEEL FESTIVAL KEDRAFEST 2018
9.–11.08., Kuressaare KURESSAARE MARITIME DAYS
9.–12.08., Haanjamaa SMOKE SAUNA WEEK IN HAANJA
9.–18.08., Tallinn BIRGITTA FESTIVAL
10.08., Elva ELVA FESTIVAL OF EXPERIENCES
10.–11.08., Paide OPINION FESTIVAL
10.–11.08., Pärnu 21TH PÄRNU GUILD DAYS
10.–11.08., Puhja ROCK@ULILA 2018
10.–12.08., Käsmu VIRU FOLK
10.–12.08., Tartu 13TH INTERNATIONAL WIND BAND FESTIVAL „MÜRTSUB PILL“
10.–12.08., Tartu RIVER EMAJÕGI FESTIVAL
10.–12.08., Tõstamaa TÕSTAMAA DAYS
10.–12.08., Narva HISTORY FESTIVAL „NARVA BATTLE 2018“
11.08., Pärnu PÄRNU FIDEOFEST
11.08., Pärnu NATIONAL MINORITIES’ SUMMER FESTIVAL „MULTICULTURAL PÄRNU“
11.08., Kose FESTIVAL OF MILD MUSIC 2018
12.08., Haapsalu CHILDREN’S CULTURE FESTIVAL „CHILDHOOD MAGIC“
12.08., Anija MANOR CULTURE FESTIVAL
13.–18.08., Tartu TARTU LOVE FILM FESTIVAL TARTUFF
15.–19.08., Lüganuse parish RIVER FESTIVAL „PURFEST“
15.–19.08., all over Estonia C-JAM CELLOFEST 2018
15.–20.08., Võru town and Võru County E. TAMM VÕRU WIND INSTRUMENT FESTIVAL
16.–18.08., Pärnu WEEKEND FESTIVAL BALTIC
17.08., Rakvere ESTONIA’S FIRST POETRY FESTIVAL
17.–18.08., Rapla 3RD INTERNATIONAL SENIOR DANCE FESTIVAL „NEIGHBOUR, COME TO DANCE!“
17.–18.08., Võru VÕRU TOWN DAYS
17.–18.08., Univere village URISSAARE KANTRI 2018
17.–19.08., Pala SKENERAATOR FESTIVAL 2018
17.–19.08., Ruhnu island RUHNURAHU FESTIVAL
17.–19.08., Põlva County ECOFESTIVAL
18.08., Alatskivi LITERARY FESTIVAL „ESTONIAN READER“ 2018
18.08., Haapsalu STREET FOOD FESTIVAL „PROMENADE OF FLAVOURS“
18.08., Järva-Jaani FILM ROLL FESTIVAL
18.08., Varnja VARNJA SAUNAFEST
19.–20.08., Valga FESTIVAL „STARS OF AUGUST IN VALGA“ 2018
19.–31.08., Tallinn 14TH TALLINN CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
20.08., Tahkuranna village TAHKURANNA CUCUMBER FESTIVAL
23.–26.08., Tallinn FESTIVAL „TOWERS OF TALLINN“
24.08., Laulasmaa 7TH ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S DAY’S GEMS
24.–26.08., Haapsalu WHITE LADY FESTIVAL
25.08., Tallinn TELLISKIVI FLEA MARKET FESTIVAL
25.08., Tallinn CULTURE NIGHT
25.–26.08., Peraküla NÕVA FLOUNDER FESTIVAL
25.–26.08., Tudulinna END OF SUMMER FESTIVAL „TUDULINNA LIGHTS“
31.08.–1.09., Tartu FESTIVAL IN APARAADITEHAS

SEPTEMBER
1.–2.09., Tallinn UUS MAAILM DISTRICT STREET FESTIVAL 2018
1.–9.09., Narva NARVA OPERA DAYS „CONTEMPART“ 2018
3.–9.09., Tartu ESTONIAN THEATRE FESTIVAL „DRAAMA“
3.–9.09., Saaremaa SAAREMAA FOOD FESTIVAL
7.–9.09., Haapsalu NOSTALGIA DAYS
8.09., Tallinn LITERARY STREET FESTIVAL
8.09., Otepää CHANTERELLE FESTIVAL 2018
10.–16.09., Tallinn 13TH TALLINN DESIGN FESTIVAL
14.09., Tallinn FESTIVAL OF STRANGE FILMS
14.–15.09., Rapla CULTURE FESTIVAL „SÄRIN“ („SIZZLE“)
14.–15.09., Tihemetsa MUSHROOM FESTIVAL
17.–23.09., Hiiumaa HIIUMAA FOOD AND ART FESTIVAL
19.–21.09., Tallinn WALKING LIGHTS FESTIVAL 2018
19.–23.09., Lihula, Haapsalu 16TH MATSALU NATURE FILM FESTIVAL (MAFF)
19.–23.09., Rakvere KAMALAMMAS FOOD FESTIVAL
20.–22.09., Tallinn SOUND PLASMA FESTIVAL FOR MICROTONAL MUSIC
20.–22.09., Tallinn 6TH INTERNATIONAL IMPROV FESTIVAL TILT
21.–22.09., Tallinn ECOMESS 2018
21.–23.09., Narva STATION NARVA 2018
22.–23.09., Tartu JAPANESE POPCULTURE FESTIVAL „ANIMATSURI 2018“
24.–30.09., Tartu TARTU STUDENT DAYS: AUTUMN
27.–29.09., all over Estonia RESEARCHERS’ NIGHT FESTIVAL
28.–30.09., Kihnu Island KIHNU VIOLIN FESTIVAL
29.09., Tallinn APPLE FESTIVAL

OCTOBER
4.–10.10., Tallinn TALLINN FASHION FILM FESTIVAL „MOEKUNSTIKINO“
5.–6.10., Viljandi FOLK MUSIC HARVEST FESTIVAL
5.–7.10., Tartu INTERNATIONAL AUTHOR’S SONG FESTIVAL „MUSIC OF THE FALLING LEAF“
5.–12.10., Tallinn 11TH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL KLAVER 2018
6.10., Nõo FESTIVAL OF LIGHT
8.–28.10., all over Estonia FILM FESTIVAL „CINEMA TO THE COUNTRY“
9.–12.10., Tallinn TALLINN COMEDY FESTIVAL
9.–14.10., Viljandi VILJANDI GUITAR FESTIVAL
9.–17.10., Tallinn, Viljandi, Sillamäe, Narva GOLDEN MASK IN ESTONIA
10.–28.10., all over Estonia PAN-FINNO-UGRIAN DAYS
11.–13.10., Tartu TRADITIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL „SABATANTS“
11.–14.10., Tartu 7TH INTERNATIONAL A-FESTIVAL
11.–14.10., Tõrva TÕRVA DOKFEST
12.–14.10., Tartu 23RD INTERNATIONAL EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL „ORIENT ET OCCIDENT“
13.–28.10., all over Estonia CHILDREN AND YOUTH MUSEUM FESTIVAL „OPEN PLAYGROUNDS“
17.–20.10., Tallinn TALLINN FASHION WEEK
19.–24.10., Tallinn AUTUMNFEST
20.–28.10., Tallinn VII NU PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL
25.–27.10., Tallinn TALLINN FOODFEST
25.–28.10., Tallinn FESTIVAL „ÜLE HELI“
25.–28.10., Tartu ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING AND LIGHT FESTIVAL TAVA 2018
27.10.–2.11., Tartu, Tallinn 17TH INTERNATIONAL MODERN MUSIC FESTIVAL „AFEKT“
31.10.–2.11., Tallinn INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL „NAKS“

NOVEMBER
November–December, all over Estonia CHRISTMAS JAZZ
5.–8.11., Tartu MEDICAL FILMS FESTIVAL MEFF 2018
5.–11.11., Viimsi VIIMSI HAPPY JAZZ FESTIVAL
6.–28.11., Tallinn SKULPAKUU
8.–9.11., Tartu FESTIVAL „CRAZY TARTU“
8.–10.11., Tallinn 22ND ST MARTIN’S DAY FAIR
9.–11.11., Tartu 3RD TARTU YOUTH FOLKLORE FESTIVAL
9.–12.11., Tartu, Narva 8TH TARTU INTERNATIONAL JAZZ AND RHYTHM MUSIC FESTIVAL „IDEEJAZZ“
12.–17.11., Ida-Viru County NORDIC CULTURE WEEK 2018
16.–25.11., Tallinn, Tartu CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL „JUST FILM“
16.11.–2.12., Tallinn, Tartu TALLINN BLACK NIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
23.11.–1.12., Väike-Maarja 10TH VÄIKE-MAARJA MUSIC FESTIVAL
24.11.–2.12., Tallinn, Tartu EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL „TALLINN FEAT. REVAL“

DECEMBER
2.12.2018–7.01.2019, all over Estonia CHRISTMAS MUSIC FESTIVAL „CHURCH HOLIDAYS IN ST MARY’S LAND“
2.12.2018–10.01.2019, Tartu CHRISTMAS CITY TARTU
7.–9.12., Rakvere FESTIVAL „DARKLAND FIRE 9“
9.–15.12., Tallinn THEATRE FESTIVAL „MIDWINTER NIGHT’S DREAM“

Read more about upcoming festivals in Estonia in 2018!

The holiday season is approaching fast and that means the culture.ee’s this week’s recommendations are quite christmassy. There are theatre, runic songs, fair atmosphere, Valga, Rapla, tennis hall and observatory, wintery folk dance, a play of the ice flowers, a bunch of literary stuff from the library and warm wishes from Pokumaa. May your week be filled with joy and pleasant experiences!
Time of warm wishes in Pokuland
8 Dec – 17 Dec
Pokuland (Pokumaa)
In December, when there’s Christmas rush everywhere, it’s peaceful and forest-scented time of warm wishes in Pokumaa, just like the Poku calendar says. What would be a Christmas world without sweet activities and cozy moments or without a lovely show for the whole family? This way, Pokumaa will help you enter the beautiful and peaceful Christmas time, where warm wishes are found and delivered on time.
Rapla Christmas World
10 Dec – 21 Dec
Culture Club BAAS
Rapla Christmas World takes visitors to a traditional and cozy world full of the smell of a Christmas tree, magic and Christmas feeling!
Book week of the Christmas month
12 Dec – 16 Dec
National Library of Estonia
Come and choose a great book to spend time with during the dark time or refresh your spirit at the literary events! Here you will find a lot of valuable gifts to fill the Santa’s bag.
Improtest: Ted Parker
13 Dec
Kanuti Gildi SAAL
„Improtest” is a concert series that brings improvisational music from local and foreign authors to a local audience. This time, the performer is Theodore Parker – a musician exploring the use of guitar, electronics, and acoustics in improvised music creation.
Runic Song Room „Jõuaks, jõuaks jõulud tulla”
14 Dec
Valga Museum
Songs about the enjoyment of singing, the beginning of the works of the winter season, holidays, advent time, celebrating Christmas and saying goodbye to Christmas.
Christmas mood concert by Kristina Vähi and Riina Pikani
15 Dec
Tartu Observatory in Tõravere
On December 15, 2017, at 3 p.m., the Christmas mood concert will be held at Tartu Observatory in Tõravere. A soulful soprano Kristina Vähi and dynamic and expressive pianist Riina Pikani will perform. The classical music gems by Schumann, Tubin, Ojakäär and other composers will be presented.
5th Kolga Christmas fair
15 Dec – 17 Dec
Kolga Tennis Hall
The three-day Kolga Christmas fair will be held for the fifth time. The fair offers dance, theatre, music and enjoyment for both adults and children.
Wintry Tartu Folk Dance Day 2017
16 Dec
Tartu Town Hall Square
Dancers from Tartu and Tartu County perform Estonian folk dances and simple group dances on Town Hall Square of Tartu. Indrek Kalda, a violinist, will add to the magic and a folk dance specialist, a teacher and lecturer Vaike Rajaste will tie the event together. The whole celebration is directed by Kati Grauberg-Longhurst. Come and see and perhaps even participate in some of the most loved Estonian folk dances!
Hand-printed Christmas cards – cut once, print a hundred times!
16 Dec
Kumu Art Museum
Come and make your own Christmas cards at Kumu Education Centre under the guidance of Kaija Kesa! Card printing is suitable for both adults and schoolchildren and provides a good experience in graphics and the ancient art of print.
Christmas concert „The Play of an Ice Flower”
17 Dec
Rakvere Holy Trinity Church
Concert of Chamber Choir Solare and Choir Studio So-La-Re. The choirs are conducted by Elo Üleoja, Ly Hiire and Keio Soomelt. Piano accompaniment by Piret Villem.

This week we will connect you with comedy, folk-culture, pop-culture, documentary films, art and the Estonian language! Have a wonderful week!
The Fifth Annual Tilt International Improv Festival presents: The Moment (FIN/USA) – “Here, Now” / Rocky Amaretto (NLD) – “Everybody has one”
23 Sep
St Catherine’s Church
Improv differs from classical theatre in that the entire performance is invented on the spot, inspired from suggestions given by the audience. Every performance is unique and will never be seen again, because it’s not possible to improvise the same story twice. Tilt brings you the best improv actors and teachers from Estonia and all over the world! Tilt: Theatre like never before (And also never again.)
Japanese Pop Culture Festival “AniMatsuri”
23 Sep – 24 Sep
Tartu
This festival is dedicated to Japanese animation and pop culture and takes place in Tartu for the 11th time already. It’s a two-day festival aimed primarily at youngsters, bringing enthusiasts together from Estonia as well as abroad.
XIII Estonian Islands’ Folk Days “Instrument and playing”
22 Sep – 24 Sep
Vormsi
The Estonian islands come together and already on Friday evening, the concert of the talharpa band Puuluup will be held in Vormsi’s only tavern. On Saturday there is a parade, a church is being examined, and it’s possible to get a little more information about the Vormsi’s ancient instrument talharpa. After a collective lunch, you can do exciting things in several workshops. Most of the activities are for both children and adults.
15th Matsalu Nature Film Festival (MAFF)
20 Sep – 24 Sep
Lihula Community Centre/Tallinn Zoo Nature Education Centre/Ilon Wonder Land
The MAFF is an annual nature film event. It has been named after the nearby Matsalu National Park, which is one of largest bird sanctuaries in Europe. The festival promotes nature-oriented and sustainable ways of life and respect for the nature-connected traditions of indigenous people. The MAFF showcases a variety of new international films about nature, wildlife, expeditions, environment, sustainability, biodiversity, conservation – films that depict nature in its diversity and films about the coexistence of man and nature.
Kumu Documentary: “Listen to me Marlon”
20 Sep
Kumu auditorium
With exclusive access to his extraordinary unseen and unheard personal archive, including hundreds of hours of audio recorded over the course of his life, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary.
Estonian language cafe for (foreign) students
21 Sep
The O. Luts Tartu Town Library
At the language cafe “Know the city of Tartu” you can practice Estonian and make new acquaintances. Everyone who wants to manage with the Estonian language in everyday communication is welcome!
Holger Loodus’s solo exhibition “Journey to the End of the World”
08 Sep – 09 Oct
Tallinn Art Hall Gallery
Holger Loodus’s exhibition Journey to the End of the World at the Art Hall Gallery revolves around three events that initially seem unrelated: the trip of Matthew Henson, a black explorer, to the North Pole with Robert Peary in 1909; the simultaneous arrival of artist Joseph Beuys’s shamanistic myth creation and social activism on the 20th-century art scene more than half a century later; and the anonymous flows of refugees, which during a short but intensive period, moved through the Arctic region from Russia to Norway two years ago. These events are connected by the North Pole, the beginning and end of journeys; and the various means, which that have changed over time, for arriving there

Here it is, the weekly dose of culture information. If you didn’t find your cup of tea, (or onions for that matter) then we recommend you dive into our culture calendar culture.ee to find  a lot more information.
Buffet day on Onion Road 2017
16 Sep
Sibulatee
The tradition of home cafes has become a thing of honour in Estonia in recent years. The Peipus area and Onion Road have also taken up this tradition.  This is great news, because the best fish and onions (in the humble oppinion of culture.eee) come from there.
Mushroom Festival
15 Sep – 16 Sep
Tihemetsa
Autumn, mushrooms and environmental education – these three words intertwine into the Mushroom Festival in Tihemetsa. Tihemetsa Mushroom Festival is open for four days, presenting hundreds of mushroom sorts, including the most poisonous and the most delicious ones in Estonia. This is a must for anyone who is into mushrooms!
Culture Festival “Särin” (“Sizzle”)
15 Sep – 16 Sep
Culture Club BAAS/Rapla County Contemporary Art Centre
There will be music, theatre, and events and performances, which bring contemporary art and literature to the audience. The Culture Festival “Särin” is a two-day music, art, film, literature and theater festival that invites everyone to Rapla to take part of the best artists, atmosphere and inspiration.
Kumu Documentary: “Seed. The Untold Story”
13 Sep
Kumu auditorium
“Seed” reveals the harrowing and heartening story of passionate seed keepers as they wage a David and Goliath battle against chemical seed companies, defending a 12,000 year food legacy.
 
Varekai, Tales of the Forest
14 Sep – 17 Sep
Saku Arena
All Cirque du Soleil’s productions are unique blends, and Varekai is an absolute proof to that. Piecing together all possible genres, arts and disciplines – original music, costumes, set design, choreography, live vocals, video-art and make-up solutions – at their heart these shows still have circus arts in all their manifestations, starting from street performances to high-tech and awe-aspiring aerial acts.
Tallinn Architectural Biennial TAB 2017
13 Sep – 17 Sep
Tallinn
BioTallinn is the theme for TAB 2017 curated by architect, urban designer and ecologist Claudia Pasquero. bioTallinn challenges typical assumptions of what constitutes the boundary between natural and artificial realms. TAB consists of five main events: a symposium, curator’s exhibition, vision contest, exhibition of international architecture schools, and a satellite programme. Discussions, workshops, and excursions taking place in a creative environment create a platform for new contacts.
Autumn Jazz 2017
11 Sep – 03 Nov
Tallinn
Autumn Jazz taking place from 11 September to 3 November will bring the world’s best hang drum player Many Delago and Terry Bozzio’s world’s biggest tuned drum set to Estonia. There will also be other great names coming here so wake up to face the music, jazz friends(pun intended)!
 
 

We recently found out, that the 20th of August will be on the day after tomorrow and because of that important date, the date Estonia regained its independence 26 years ago, we put together a few recommendations, on how to spend it. You are Welcome to rejoice with us!
Concert “Reflections of Estonia”
19/20 Aug
Tõrva Church Chamber Hall/Treski barn
At the same time with the Estonian Independence Recovery Day, chamber choir Head Ööd, Vend starts its 10th anniversary season with a concert tour of South Estonia. Head Ööd, Vend will perform Estonian classical choral music (Kunileid, Kreek, Saar) as well as newer works (Uusberg), inspired by Estonian folk music.
Pickled Cucumber Festival
20 Aug
Tahku Tare
The keywords of Pickled Cucumber Festival – cucumber, fish, and handicraft – have been important elements in the daily life of the seaside people. At the festival taking place during the pickled cucumber season one can taste exciting pickle preserves, buy local food and handicraft, listen to and sing along to folk songs, participate in workshops and make handicrafts oneself.
Film Roll Festival 2017: ULM
19 Aug – 20 Aug
Järva-Jaani Old Equipment Shelter
This is an homage to the art of film and cinema. This special festival of the end of summer, slightly mystical, reminiscent of an enchanting dream. Good music, great films and cosy atmosphere. Because time flows differently in the middle of the old buses, trams, and trolley-buses in Järva-Jaani.
Onion Road saunafEST
19 Aug
Varnja alevik
Saunas have been important for Estonians through the centuries and one can still find them all across Estonia, both traditional and modern ones. In Varnja, we celebrate traditions in a rather peculiar way – participants will be given a map and sent to look for the best saunas on the Onion Road. Once they reach the destination, they have to do more than just enjoy the sauna – they also have to solve a task given by the local family. The best participants will receive prizes at the end of the evening.
RuhnuRahu Festival 2017
18 Aug – 20 Aug
Ruhnu Island
“RuhnuRahu”, taking place for the third time, is the summer closing festival for friendly people only. The festival programme features films, fancy musicians and DJs, local food and strong coffee, communal work for the island, cruises on the old boat Runbjarn, nature and cultural walks, workshops for the children, discussions and other inspiring things to do that cannot be found elsewhere.
 

Rainer Sarnet’s new film „November” is a classical story about tragic love that is never consummated on the backdrop of a muddy and moth-eaten mytho-Estonian life.

The glittering surface of the water on the screen seems like a promise – we have reached a mirror world, where mythological is common. The dead walk with the living, human-size chickens whisk in the sauna, and, walking in the manor park at night, one might run into a goblin made of iron rods, carrying a bottle of vodka and shouting “Hello!” Kivirähk’s „Old Barny” reaches the silver screen in black-and-white, lit by bright projector lamps, resulting in high contrast that makes the viewer feel as if he sits in the front row in a theatre and gets a very close look on how the grimaces alter on the rough-hewn wrinkles of the actors. The most plastic performance is delivered by the face of Devil, buried under in a coat of powder and a thick moustache, challenged by his doublet-clad body jumping around the crossroads on a Waning Thursday. Senses will be haunted by the film’s dirty faces and witless smiles, many of which do not belong to professional actors, but were found in response to a call made in the local newspaper – we are looking for people who look like they come from the photos of Johannes Pääsuke.

The behaviour of peasants is governed by laziness, greed, and bile. Stupidity manifests itself as stubborn superstition. Their own view is, of course, that it is cleverness with which to deceive the priest and the landlord. The baron follows the sinful with a pained look, but probably accepts then that the earthlings will never be proper Christians, as he begins to make pointless jokes and resigns himself to playing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata on the piano. At the same time, the valet with a bowl haircut takes the totally infatuated Hans to the bedroom of the baron’s sleepwalking daughter. The baroness, straying onto the manor roof in her sleep, and her bewitched lover are seen from the manor park by the heart-broken Werewolf Liina (Rea Lest), the depth of whose feelings convincingly portrays the conflict between a pure heart and the degenerate world.

If some of the more magical scenes remind one of the camera and montage jumps from “Bumpy”, then by the time Dogme is reached, the evil is no longer reflected mythologically. Despite the black humour accompanying the action, or rather, with its support, the gloominess of the observable world and its inhabitants becomes ever more oppressive. This anguish is not era-specific depressiveness arising from estrangement that can often be encountered in Estonian and Nordic films. This anguish manifests itself in a somewhat more authentic way: I would like to say that as a mouthful it is something more than world soup while remaining unmistakeably local at the same time.

The few characters whose souls have (temporarily?) been cleansed by love, sitting in a pool of water under apple trees and snowflakes through the night, feel like a breath of spring in this November. The snow and white colour seem to repeat as signs of soul. After outsmarting the plague, the snowfall seems to clean the earthlings of the dirt and bring relief. But relief does not tend to last long in this world.

Similarly to „Idiot”, Rainer Sarnet manages to portray the beauty in the squalid, eternally poor environment in “November” with painful precision. If you forgive the clumsy start, where the bullying of a calf is not justified by the content or anything else, one has to admit that „November” is a style-bold film, which pokes the national pride, risen over the edge of the bowl, in the right place to keep it from getting too full of itself, just like the novel “Old Barny” did.

JANUARY
1.–7.01., Tallinn 6TH BACHFEST TALLINN
1.–8.01., Tartu 4TH TARTU WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL
7.–15.01., Pärnu PÄRNU CONTEMPORARY MUSIC DAYS
20.01.–2.04., across Estonia FESTIVAL „SCHOOL DANCE“
21.01., Tallinn INTSIKURMU WINTER FESTIVAL
21.–22.01., Elva MONOMANIA
25.–29.01., Tallinn DOCPOINT TALLINN
27.01.–5.02., Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Jõhvi, Saint Petersburg MUSTONENFEST
FEBRUARY
3.–11.02., Tallinn 10TH TALLINN WINTER FESTIVAL
4.02., Tallinn 4TH ESTONIAN JEW’S HARP FESTIVAL
4.–5.02., Tallinn SIMPLE SESSION 17
6.–10.02., Rakvere RAKVERE HIGH SCHOOL FILM FESTIVAL
17.–19.02., Viljandi STUDENT THEATRE DAYS
MARCH
3.–12.03., Pärnu, Pärnu County CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH MUSIC FESTIVAL „MUSIC JAM“
7.–10.03., Tartu, Viljandi, Tallinn TUDENGIJAZZ
8.–12.03., Tallinn LADYFEST TALLINN
16.–17.03., Tallinn TALLINN FASHION WEEK
18.03., Kilingi-Nõmme 4TH NATIONAL MALE ENSEMBLES FESTIVAL
18.03., Valga FESTIVAL OF ESTONIAN MUSIC VIDEOS
18.–20.03., Kuressaare NATIONAL SCHOOL THEATRE FESTIVAL „SAAREMAA MINI THEATRE DAYS“
18.–21.03., Tallinn EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL „CECILIANA“
21.–25.03., Tartu FESTIVAL OF VISUAL CULTURE „WORLD FILM“
23.–24.03., Viljandi FESTIVAL „OWN STORY“
27.03.–2.04., Tallinn TALLINN MUSIC WEEK
APRIL
April–June, Tallinn 7TH TALLINN APPLIED ART TRIENNIAL
6.–13.04., Tallinn ESTONIAN MUSIC DAYS
7.04., Tallinn FESTIVAL „ACOUSSION SPRING“
14.–23.04., Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Narva 11TH JAPANESE ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL (JAFF)
15.–16.04., Lüllemäe KARULA FOLK
17.–23.04., Tartu 16TH SUPILINNA DAYS
18.04.–26.05., Tallinn KORFEST
20.–23.04., Tallinn 15TH INTERNATIONAL CHOIR FESTIVAL „TALLINN 2017“
21.–22.04., Mooste 17TH ESTONIAN FOLK MUSIC ARRANGEMENTS FESTIVAL „MOISEKATSI ELOHELÜ“
21.–30.04., across Estonia TALLINN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL „JAZZKAAR“
21.04.–23.07., Tallinn 7TH TALLINN APPLIED ART TRIENNAL
22.04.–23.04., Tallinn FESTIVAL „LET’S START DANCING“
23.–29.04., Viljandi, Viljandi County DANCE WEEK
24.–30.04., Tartu TARTU STUDENT DAYS: SPRING 2017
28.–29.04., Tallinn TRADITIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL „SABATANTS“
28.–29.04., Tallinn TALLINN COFFEE FESTIVAL
28.–30.04., Haapsalu HAAPSALU HORROR & FANTASY FILM FESTIVAL (HÕFF)
29.04.–7.05., Jõhvi 10TH JÕHVI BALLET FESTIVAL
MAY
4.–6.05., Tartu AUTHOR’S SONG FESTIVAL „MAILAUL“
4.–6.05., Viljandi, Tallinn, Tartu CULTURE DESSANT
5.–12.05., Pärnu PÄRNU INTERNATIONAL OPERA MUSIC FESTIVAL „PROMFEST“
6.05., Viljandi ELECTRONIC FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL
8.–13.05., Tartu, Värska TARTU LITERATURE FESTIVAL „PRIMA VISTA“
8.–14.05., Tartu KARLOVA DAYS
11.05., Tartu 15TH NATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH SPECIAL NEEDS „SAVILIND“
13.05., Lao RÄIMEWEST HERRING FESTIVAL
13.–14.05., Kihlepa DANDELION FESTIVAL
18.–20.05., Tartu TARTU MUSIC FESTIVAL „INDIEFEST“
19.–21.05., Türi 40TH TÜRI FLOWER FAIR
19.05.–25.08., Tallinn TALLINN FLOWER FESTIVAL
20.05., across Estonia NIGHT OF MUSEUMS
20.–21.05., Sillamäe INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL „JAZZTIME“
24.–28.05., Tallinn TALLINN LITERATURE FESTIVAL „HEADREAD“
27.05., Hiiumaa Island TUULEKALA FESTIVAL
27.–28.05., Jäneda JÄNEDA GARDEN AND FLOWER DAYS
27.05.–1.07., Haapsalu HAAPSALU GRAPHIC DESIGN FESTIVAL
30.05.–3.06., Tallinn INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ORIENTAL MUSIC „ORIENT“
31.05.–4.06., Tallinn 36TH TALLINN OLD TOWN DAYS
JUNE
June–September, Island of Naissaar, across Estonia NARGENFESTIVAL
1.–3.06., Saue, Tallinn 15TH INTERNATIONAL YOUTH RHYTHM MUSIC FESTIVAL „VISIOON“
1.–4.06., Narva NARVA TOWN DAYS
1.–4.06., Tallinn INTERNATIONAL VISUAL THEATRE FESTIVAL „NUQ TREFF“
2.06., Kärdla 15TH HIIUMAA CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL
2.–3.06., Haapsalu ITALIAN WINE PARTY IN HAAPSALU
2.–4.06., Narva 11TH BLACKSMITHS’ FESTIVAL „BAROQUE SMITHERY“
2.–4.06., Türi TÜRI SPRING FESTIVAL
3.06., Kohila KAPAROCK
3.06., Häädemeeste 12TH NORTH LIVONIAN FESTIVAL
3.06., Sõmeru COUNTRY LIFE FESTIVAL
3.–4.06., Lange ESTONIAN AVIATION DAYS
7.–10.06., Tartu TARTU NATURE FESTIVAL
8.–11.06., Rakvere RAKVERE TOWN DAYS
10.–11.06., Tallinn TALLINN STREET FOOD FESTIVAL & TADAA! FESTIVAL
10.–11.06., Haapsalu NARGENFESTIVAL’S KREEK DAYS
10.–12.06., Saue 20TH DAYS OF CREATION AND IMPROVISATION
12.–16.06., Tallinn 12TH TALLINN GUITAR FESTIVAL
12.–18.06., Tartu, across Estonia STREET ART FESTIVAL „STENCIBILITY“
14.–22.06., Tallinn FESTIVAL „MEXTONIA“
15.–18.06., Hiiumaa Island SÕRU JAZZ
16.–18.06., Kuressaare TIMELESS MUSIC FESTIVAL
16.–18.06., Värska SETO FOLK „TOWARDS THE WOODS“
17.–18.06., Vastseliina 23RD COUNTRY FOLK FAIR
17.–23.06., Suure-Jaani 20TH SUURE-JAANI MUSIC FESTIVAL
26.–30.06., Peipsimaa 4TH PEIPSIMAA ORGAN FESTIVAL
28.06.–1.07., Haapsalu HAAPSALU TCHAIKOVSKY FESTIVAL
28.06.–1.07., Tsiistre FINNO-UGRIC FILM FESTIVAL (FUFF)
28.06.–1.07., Muhu Island, Saare County 21ST INTERNATIONAL MUHU FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL „JUU JÄÄB“
28.06.–9.07., Rapla County 25TH RAPLA CHURCH MUSIC FESTIVAL
29.06., Tartu TARTU CITY DAY
29.06.–1.07., Pühajärve RETROBEST FESTIVAL
29.06.–1.07., Pärnu PÄRNU HANSEATIC DAYS
29.06.–1.07., Pärnu INTERNATIONAL STREET ORGAN FESTIVAL
30.06.–1.07., Vana-Vigala HARD ROCK CAMP
30.06.–2.07., Tallinn 12TH ESTONIAN YOUTH SONG AND DANCE CELEBRATION „MINA JÄÄN“ („I WILL STAY“)
JULY
1.–30.07., Kabli KABLI SUNSET FESTIVAL
3.–16.07., Pärnu, across Estonia 31ST PÄRNU INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY AND ANTHROPOLOGY FILM FESTIVAL
4.–8.07., Saaremaa Island THE SONOROUS SOUNDS OF THE ORGANS OF SAAREMAA
4.–9.07., Ida-Viru County 19TH SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL OF SEVEN TOWNS
5.–8.07., Tallinn ÕLLESUMMER FESTIVAL
5.–9.07., Haapsalu 24TH HAAPSALU EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL
6.–9.07., Tallinn 17TH MEDIEVAL DAYS
6.–9.07., Võru 23RD VÕRU FOLK DANCE FESTIVAL
6.–11.07., Tartu FESTIVAL „GLASPERLENSPIEL“
7.–8.07., Toomasmäe MUSIC AND CULTURE FESTIVAL „SETO MIDSUMMER EVE’S BONFIRE“
7.–9.07., Hiiumaa Island 19TH HIIUMAA CHAMBER MUSIC DAYS
7.–9.07., Kihnu Island KIHNU SEA FESTIVAL
7.–9.07., Tartu TARTU HANSEATIC DAYS
7.–9.07., Kilingi-Nõmme KILINGI-NÕMME TOWN DAYS
7.–9.07., Vormsi Island HERITAGE DAYS OF ESTONIAN ISLANDS
7.–10.07., Pärnu PÄRNU HARMONICA FESTIVAL
7.–14.07., Viljandi 25TH NOTAFE
8.07., Lindi FEAST OF OUR VILLAGE
9.07., Võsu GEORG OTS FESTIVAL
9.–14.07., Viljandi VILJANDI EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL
10.–16.07., Võsu VÕSU MUSIC DAYS
14.07., Varbuse SOUTHEAST ESTONIA’S 2ND PREJUDICE FESTIVAL
14.–15.07., Nõmmküla INTERNATIONAL ART FESTIVAL “FUTU MUHU. 100 YEARS. 2017”
14.–15.07., Võsu VÕSU JAZZ
14.–16.07., Tartu PUNK & ROCK FESTIVAL
14.–22.07., Kuressaare SAAREMAA OPERA DAYS
15.07., Võsu VÕSU JAZZ
15.–18.07., Tallinn TALLINN MARITIME DAYS
20.–23.07., Hiiumaa Island 13TH HIIUMAA FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL „HIIU FOLK“
21.–22.07., Kajamaa FESTIVAL ACOUSSION LIVE 2017
21.–22.07., Ostrova OSTROVA FESTIVAL
21.–23.07., Varbla WEEKEND IN VARBLA
22.07., Pärnu FESTIVAL OF CHEERFUL CHILDREN
22.07., Tõrva TÕRVA SPELL FESTIVAL
22.–23.07., Haapsalu YOGA FESTIVAL
22.–23.07., Narva TWO SIDES OF THE HERB
25.–30.07., Mustjala MUSTJALA FESTIVAL
27.–30.07., Viljandi 25TH VILJANDI FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL
28.–29.07., Rannapungerja LIGHTHOUSE CONTSERT
28.–30.07., Võru VÕRU CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL „EARTH RINGS OF JOY“
28.–30.07., Vormsi Island ST. OLAF’S DAY EVENTS ON VORMSI
29.07., Võsu VÕSU BEACH FESTIVAL
29.–30.07., Jäneda ESTONIAN FARM DAYS
30.07., Haapsalu FESTIVAL „CHILDHOOD MAGIC“
31.07.–6.08., Käina HIIUMAA DANCE FESTIVAL
AUGUST
1.–5.08., Kuressaare 23RD KURESSAARE CHAMBER MUSIC DAYS
3.–6.08., Tartu 12TH TARTU INTERNATIONAL WIND BAND FESTIVAL „MÜRTSUB PILL“
3.–6.08., Eivere, Paide 5TH EIVERE PIANO FESTIVAL
4.–5.08., Pähklimäe KUKEMURU AMBIENT FESTIVAL
4.–5.08., Pärnu 20TH PÄRNU GUILD DAYS
4.–5.08., Haapsalu FESTIVAL „AUGUST BLUES“
4.–5.08., Põlva INTSIKURMU FESTIVAL
4.–5.08., Lutike LEIGO LAKE MUSIC FESTIVAL
4.–6.08., Pühalepa 6TH PÜHALEPA MUSIC FESTIVAL
4.–6.08., Palmse & other villages in the Lahemaa National Park 10TH LAHEMAA BAGPIPE DAYS
4.–13.08., Tallinn BIRGITTA FESTIVAL
4.–13.08., Tallinn 31ST TALLINN INTERNATIONAL ORGAN FESTIVAL
7.–12.08., Tartu TARTU LOVE FILM FESTIVAL „TARTUFF“
8.–13.08., Lihula LIHULA CULTURE DAYS
8.–13.08., Varbola 21ST VARBOLA WOOD DAYS „VARBOLA WOOD“
10.–12.08., Kuressaare KURESSAARE MARITIME DAYS
10.–17.08., Pärnu PÄRNU MUSIC FESTIVAL
11.–12.08., Paide OPINION FESTIVAL
11.–13.08., Käsmu VIRU FOLK
11.–13.08., Haapsalu WHITE LADY FESTIVAL
11.–13.08., Narva HISTORY FESTIVAL „NARVA BATTLE 2017“
12.08., Pärnu SLEEPLESS IN AUGUST
12.08., Tartu TARTU FOOD FESTIVAL
13.08., Lihula 7TH LIHULA FLOWER EMBROIDERY FESTIVAL
14.–20.08., Võru E. TAMME VÕRU WIND INSTRUMENT FESTIVAL
16.–19.08., Tartu URBAN FESTIVAL „UIT“
18.–19.08., Võru VÕRU TOWN DAYS
18.–19.08., Tartu EMAJÕGI RIVER FESTIVAL
18.–20.08., Põlva County ECOFESTIVAL
18.–20.08., Ruhnu Island RUHNURAHU FESTIVAL
18.08.–17.09., Viljandi VILJANDI ART FESTIVAL„QQ“
19.08., Kassari HIIU FISH AND BEER FESTIVAL
19.08., Kuremaa GARLIC FESTIVAL
19.–20.08., Järva-Jaani FILM ROLL FESTIVAL
20.08., Tahkuranna PICKLED CUCUMBER FESTIVAL
21.–23.08., Haapsalu CHORALE MARATHON
21.–30.08., Tallinn 13TH TALLINN CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
23.–27.08., Tallinn FESTIVAL „TOWERS OF TALLINN“
24.–26.08., Tallinn WE LOVE THE 90S
24.–26.08., Tartu FESTIVAL IN APARAADITEHAS
25.–26.08., Tallinn ROTERMANN RESTAURANT FESTIVAL
25.–27.08., Pärnu INTERNATIONAL SLAVIC CULTURE FESTIVAL „SVETOCH“
26.08., Tallinn TELLISKIVI FLEA FESTIVAL
26.08., Tõstamaa DAY OF DISAPPEARING? CINEMA
26.08., Nõva NÕVA FLOUNDER FESTIVAL
26.08., across Estonia NIGHT OF ANCIENT LIGHTS
26.–27.08., Narva PRESERVED FOOD FESTIVAL „SUMMER INTO THE JAR!“
SEPTEMBER
September, Tartu TARTU STUDENT DAYS: AUTUMN 2017
September–October, Tallinn TALLINN PHOTOMONTH
2.–3.09., Tallinn SEASON OPENING FESTIVAL „ESTONIAN NATIONAL OPERA THEATRE FAIR“
4.–10.09., Tartu ESTONIAN THEATRE FESTIVAL „DRAAMA“
6.–10.09., Narva NARVA OPERA DAYS CONTEMPART
8.–10.09., Haapsalu NOSTALGIA DAYS
9.09., Tallinn LITERARY STREET FESTIVAL
9.09., Tartu TARTU STREET FOOD FESTIVAL
13.–17.09., Tallinn TALLINN ARCHITECURE BIENNALE TAB 2017
15.–16.09., Tihemetsa MUSHROOM FESTIVAL
15.–16.09., Rapla CULTURE FESTIVAL „SÄRIN“ („SIZZLE“)
15.–17.09., Viljandi VILJANDI MUSIC WALK
20.–21.09., Tallinn LIGHT WALKS IN KADRIORG
20.–24.09., Lihula, Haapsalu, Tallinn 15TH MATSALU NATURE FILM FESTIVAL (MAFF)
21.–23.09., Tallinn TILT INTERNATIONAL IMPROV FESTIVAL
23.09., Vormsi Island SURSTRÖMMINGFEST
23.–24.09., Tartu JAPANESE POP CULTURE FESTIVAL „ANIMATSURI“
24.–29.09., Tartu, across Estonia RESEARCHERS’ NIGHT FESTIVAL
25.09.–1.10., Tallinn 12TH TALLINN DESIGN FESTIVAL „DESIGN NIGHT“
28.–30.09., Tartu TARTU CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH LITERATURE FESTIVAL
29.–30.09., Kihnu Island KIHNU VIOLIN FESTIVAL
OCTOBER
3.–6.10., Tallinn TALLINN COMEDY FESTIVAL
5.–11.10., Tallinn MOEKUNSTIKINO – FASHION DESIGN CINEMA
5.–17.10., Narva, Sillamäe, Tallinn, Tartu THEATRE FESTIVAL „GOLDEN MASK IN ESTONIA“
6.–8.10., Tartu INTERNATIONAL AUTHOR’S SONG FESTIVAL „MUSIC OF THE FALLING LEAF“
7.10., Nõo FESTIVAL OF LIGHT
8.10., Rakvere 14TH NATIONAL TEACHERS’ MUSIC DAYS
9.–29.10., across Estonia FILM FESTIVAL „CINEMA TO THE COUNTRY“
10.–14.10., Viljandi VILJANDI GUITAR FESTIVAL
12.–14.10., Tallinn TALLINN FASHION WEEK
12.–15.10., Tartu 22ND INTERNATIONAL TARTU EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL „ORIENT ET OCCIDENT“
12.–15.10., Tartu INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT AND STUDENT THEATRE FESTIVAL „A-FESTIVAL“
16.–18.10., Viljandi FESTIVAl „THEATRE FOR THE YOUNG VIEWER“
16.–22.10., across Estonia PAN-FINNO-UGRIAN DAYS
19.–22.10., Tõrva TÕRVA DOKFEST
21.–22.10., Valga 4TH INTERNATIONAL POP/JAZZ CHOIR CONTEST AND FESTIVAL „LAULURAGIN“
26.10., Tallinn MEETINGS WITH TARKOVSKY
26.10.–28.10. Pärnu 35TH PÄRNU ACCORDION MUSIC FESTIVAL
27.10.–1.11., Tartu, Tallinn INTERNATIONAL MODERN MUSIC FESTIVAL „AFEKT“
NOVEMBER
7.–12.11., Viimsi VIIMSI HAPPY JAZZ FESTIVAL
9.–12.11., Tartu TARTU JAZZ AND RHYTHM MUSIC FESTIVAL „IDEEJAZZ“
10.–12.11., Tartu TARTU FOLKLORE FESTIVAL
16.–19.11., Tallinn ST MARTIN’S DAY FAIR
17.–26.11., Tallinn CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL „JUST FILM“
17.11.–3.12., across Estonia BLACK NIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL (PÖFF)
21.–26.11., Tallinn SHORT FILMS AND ANIMATION FESTIVAL „PÖFF SHORTS“
25.–26.11., Rakvere 16TH JAAN PAKK YOUNG MUSICIANS’ CHAMBER ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL
25.11.2017–7.01.2018, across Estonia CHRISTMAS MUSIC FESTIVAL „CHURCH HOLIDAYS IN THE LAND OF MARY“
November–december, across Estonia CHRISTMAS JAZZ FESTIVAL
DECEMBER
December, Tartu CHRISTMAS CITY TARTU
8.–10.12., Rakvere DARKLAND FIRE
9.12., Tartu STREET DANCE FESTIVAL „BATTLE OF EST“
Read more about upcoming festivals in Estonia in 2017!